Castlevania Past Present Future
by Magus Leah
Summary: After an easy Journey through SOTN, Alucard must face ghosts of his past, recent foes and Evils that transcent time and history... Complete!(Contains violence, brief swearing... nothign THAT bad... Unless... you'll see...)
1. Chapter 00 Prologue

PROLOGUE  
  
Out of Castlevania, Alucard, Maria and Richter came as it crumbled from count Vlad Tepes Dracula's latest death at his own son's hands and having learned the last words of his departed wife Lisa and the reason his son will not join him in his evil ways.  
Alucard: Father...  
Dracula: Well met my son, it's been a long time.  
Alucard: I was hoping we would not see each other again. I cannot allow you to leave here father.  
Dracula: You have ever been the allies of humans. Have you forgotten what they did to your mother?  
Alucard: Think you I would forget such a thing? No, but neither do I seek revenge against them.  
Dracula: Still uttering the same nonsense, no matter, now is time to put aside your weak human side and join me in remaking this world.  
Alucard: Dracula, in the name of my mother, I will defeat you again! Alucard and his father battle and Alucard applies the finishing blow with the Gurthang.  
Alucard: Go back whence you came! Trouble the soul of my mother no more!  
Dracula: H... How? How is it that I've been so defeated?  
Alucard: You have been doomed ever since you lost the ability to love.  
Dracula: Ah, sarcasm, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the world and loses his own soul?" Matthew 16, 26 I believe.  
Alucard: ... ...  
Dracula: Tell me what... What were Lisa's last words?  
Alucard: She said: "Do not hate humans, and if you cannot live with them, at least seek them no harm, for theirs is already a hard lot." She also said to tell you that she would love you for all eternity.  
Dracula: Lisa, forgive me, farewell my son. After those words, Dracula faded once again and the castle began to crumble. A minute after they had escaped the crumbling ruins, a beam of purity hit the castle to utterly destroy it. So was the end of Castlevania, after 800 years of servitude to Dracula. Now that the menace of his father was finally over, Alucard decided that he should disappear from the face of the world. While crossing the woods to reach his tomb, he saw a quite familiar castle on his left...  
Alucard: How, How can Castlevania still stand? It is directly linked to my father and he is finally dead for good! ... But Castlevania stands before my very eyes... So either father has tricked me, or someone else has taken over the castle. Whoever it may be, I must eliminate the ruler of this foul castle. And so he headed for the castle and starts his new quest.  
  
Castlevania, Past, Present, Future 


	2. Chapter 01 Outside

CHAPTER 1: OUTSIDE  
  
As he approached the castle, Richter caught up with Alucard.  
Richter: You have done well, my friend, but you have not yet recovered from your previous journey. I'll handle this one.  
Alucard: But... but they never even hit me!!  
Richter: You still exhausted yourself so let me handle it.  
Alucard: Allright... But it's because you're such a pain in the ass, not because I'm tired... Because of his friend's insistence, he retreated to a nearby cave to wait. Two days later, he saw that nothing had happened, Richter had never even gotten in the castle.  
Alucard: So much for trusting that self proclaimed Vampire hunter. I'll handle this one again... As he approached the castle, he felt a force more powerful that he had ever sensed, more than twice his father's. As he got closer to the castle, he was forced to cross a cemetery that didn't appear on any map of the region.  
  
Within were quite a few skeletons, zombies, bats and other useless creatures. At the end, he was greeted by an overgrown skeleton with a Gladius (Sword of ancient Rome) and Leather Shield (Leather shield - Low DEF). It also wore a golden crown on it's forehead.  
Skeleton Knight King: None shall pass!  
Alucard: Come back to take your revenge, aren't you?  
SKK: No, I've never been defeated and never will be! It slashed, but was immediately blocked by an Iron shield (Hard Iron Shield). The sword's contact sending a wave of invulnerability in Alucard. He took that opportunity to Slash off the Skeleton's shield and turn it to dust with a well placed Marsil (Advanced fire sword) hit. After defeating it, he crossed a forest containing the rest of the skeleton's troop and arrived to the Castle's not yet completed Drawbridge.  
Alucard: The drawbridge isn't done yet, by what sorcery is this possible? He looked at the plate on the castle's side, the mark of time. It was completely blurred.  
Alucard: How can the plate of time not know when we are? As he finished walking across pole steadily, as one fall would injure him greatly, he was back out at the entrance of the forest.  
Alucard: What sort of devilry has my father installed upon his front gate to keep me back? He recrossed the forest, now only filled with birds and other inoffensive animals to find the drawbridge complete and the time as the present. Letting out a sigh of relief, he entered the castle's main gate to find himself at the entrance of an even denser forest than ever. Coming from it was the omnious chanting of wolves at the almost full moon. 


	3. Chapter 02 Future

CHAPTER 2: FUTURE  
  
As soon as he entered the dense forest, he was attacked by a giant wolf twice his size, with murderous instincts. Alucard dodged the initial blow from the wolf, but didn't see it's jaws get in close. He noticed right before it's teeth came down. Thanks to his notice, it's fangs only scratched his chest, not saying the same for his armor though... He slashed at it and found it blocking his sword with it's claws. To defeat it, he resorted to cheap shots. Using the Marsil against it. It once again blocked it's swipe, but it quickly broke the strike, as it's claws were burning hot and it's fur on the verge of catching ablaze. It yelped a bit and retreated in the safety of the woods.  
Alucard: Almost beaten by a wolf, how humiliating. And usually, Dracula's wolves are some of his weakest allies. As he crossed the woods, he saw yet more wolves but they refrained from attacking, they must be scared because of the way I battered their comrade, Alucard thought, but his mind changed as soon as he arrived at the end of the woods. An enormous wolf awaited him with the wolf he had wounded, blocking his way. The wolf lord was at least 4 times taller than he was, his claws were as long as swords, and his teeth, well, let's just say that an army of piranhas looked twice as friendly... The two foes circled each other, waiting for a chance to strike. Alucard made the first move as he unleashed the full force of the Marsil, carbonizing quite a few wolves, making a few catch ablaze and it's main target was the only one that didn't just suffer from the fiery outburst, but also ate the blazing column of fire that had escaped the sword during it's swing. The enormous inferno created by the blazing sword stopping alucard from spotting his foe, now regretting his rash behavior.  
Alucard: Down one wolf lord... one forest too... Unnoticed, the wolf lord leapt out of the inferno that used to be vegetation, it caught him while he was turning, almost slicing him in half. As it touched the ground, Alucard dug the blazing sword in it's heart, but it didn't even notice. He knew he didn't have long to live when he saw the wolf start to head back at him, it's fangs bared.  
Alucard: Oh, this is such a lame way to die, this is so Not-cool! But about a meter from him, he saw a flash of grey hitting the Wolf Lord in the back, causing it to fall to the ground, barely breathing with a broken spine.  
Richter: Having problems?  
Alucard: Richter, how glad I am to see you! Have you noticed anything weird about those wolves?  
Richter: No, why? Have you?  
Alucard: Just the size of the normal ones frighten me. He said so as he extracted his blade from the beast's carcass and realized it wasn't even bloody.  
Alucard: This is no normal wolf... We should leave here fast.  
Richter: Here, I found this on our way out of Castlevania. Richter threw him an Elixir and as soon as he'd drank it, the huge slash faded into nothingness. Out of the forest, Alucard took out his mother's sword, just in case... but strangely, no assault came.  
Alucard: This place is just too quiet, we should have been overrun by zombies.  
Richter: Maybe they were eaten by the wolves? He noticed a small noise and soon felt a hand grip his leg. Richter thrashed in it's cold grip, but just didn't manage to free himself from it's cold hand. It rose to reveal it's entire mechanical self. The attacker was a zombie made of metal! Identical to a normal one, it seemed to have a far superior resistance to it's deceased ancestor. Alucard made a large overhead swing at it and managed to break his sword doing so. The zombie's chest opened and in it were two holes filled with glistering skulls. They emerged, revealing to be missile's heads! Eating the round sent him crashing into a nearby tombstone, finishing off the Alucard mail (Resists Fire, Lightning, Ice). Richter swung at it and managed to coil his whip hard against the arm holding him. With one sharp jerk, the arm shattered freeing him... partially. The arm still held him as powerfully as ever. The two turned around and noticed over a dozen more metallical comrades had arrived to aid their mutilated friend. The pair judged their odds and chose to run. Soon, they were dodging the volley of missiles, as each zombie shot it's two skullsiles, always missing by so little, it was sickening. The pair jumped onto the drawbridge and then they weren't there anymore. 


	4. Chapter 03 Entrance

CHAPTER 3: ENTRANCE  
  
The two stood beyond the Drawbridge, but it was still in construction.  
Richter: We're back in the past, in the year 1476 At the time of Trevor Belmont.  
Alucard: But that's 316 years ago! Alucard sighed in disbelief.  
Alucard: Our foe has time at his hand, so we must expect anything.  
Richter: That was close back there, wasn't it?  
Alucard: We shouldn't think of that, we should rest a bit and then leave fast. Alucard threw away his armor and took out the God's Garb (Strongest of all armor), the Elven Cloak (Perfect for forest camouflage), The Medusa Shield (Gorgon headed shield), The Fist Of Tulkas (Blessed by Tulkas the Valar), the Sword Familiar (Sentient Sword familiar) and summoned the Demon familiar from it's card. In the past, they entered the great halls and found quite a few enemies there. Normal zombies, bats, floating eyes, bone dogs, Naginata wielding guards, axe armors and werepanther skeletons abounded as they climbed stairs, walked down halls and hoped to return to a better time. Once outside again, the courtyard was filled with millions of bats forming a dark cloud in the sky. They regrouped and formed one giant bat. Richter whipped it and it disintegrated into smaller bats again.  
Richter: Well, that was easy!  
Alucard: Behind you! He turned around and saw the bat had reformed and sunk it's teeth in his neck. Before it had chance to strike again, the Marsil flared active, scorching Richter and making lots of tiny flaming bats fall to the ground. Alucard applied lots of anti-burn ointment on Richter and gave him a potion. As they picked up the small orb, they found themselves in the castle's exterior courtyard, a Warg in front of them. Richter hit it and it disappeared. After taking out 6 more, they stood in the center of a small thunderstorm where Death was appearing.  
Death: Alucard, why do you besiege this castle?  
Alucard: I wish to put an end to this.  
Death: I'll not ask you to leave, but disarm and cease this attack!  
Richter: Not until your master is put to rest for good.  
Death: Very well then, the odds are against me, but we will meet again! Death twirled it's scythe and was gone.  
Alucard: I was worried there, I thought he was going to steal all my armors and weapons again!  
Richter: It seems t forgot to do so.  
Alucard: Oh well, I'm not complaining. They proceeded up the stairs and emptied the next room of it's few Bloody zombies and skeletons and opened the door to the future. 


	5. Chapter 04 Batty

CHAPTER 4: BATTY  
  
The entrance was composed of a small interior courtyard leading to the castle's main entrance.  
Richter: For once, our writer isn't too creative, this is just like the last one!  
Alucard: Yes, but who knows what he's planning... A second later, a harpy appeared on the horizon, It was consisted of wings made of poisonous spikes, the upper body of a gorgeous women, the usual bird legs and scimitars (Single edged curved sword) instead of arms. It became from a small dot to a full frontal contact, it's blades tearing into  
  
Richter. It's wings also tried to poison Alucard, but the God's garb took the hit easily. The demon had fun by poking it in the breast and casting a Fire spear, turning it to charcoal instantly. Alucard examined Richter's wound and found it was nothing more than a puncture hole like those you'd get of black fly bites... until he tried to get up. It's volume tripled with the effort, easily covering half the man's chest.  
Alucard: Richter, don't move. He took out a small bean from a bad on his side and made Richter eat it. The man got up, bursting with strength and renewed energy.  
Richter: That was delicious! What was it?  
Alucard: They're called senzu beans. They were given to me by an old green man who lives in a sky castle and decided to name himself God. He  
  
gave them to me for saving a black bald guy who looks like a Hindu. He gave  
  
me five and I gave you and Maria one each when I told you to leave the castle, remember?.  
Richter: oh yeah... I forgot... As the two crossed the gate, they found themselves in a hall of carcasses and bats. A few new ones could be found, those still bleeding a bit. Suddenly...  
Alucard: Oh great, what now?  
Mi: How do you know something's going to happen?  
Richter: something bad always happens when you write suddenly.  
Mi: May I remind you that this is only chapter 4 out of 32, so if you  
  
want to see it alive Richter, stop complaining!  
Richter: Allright already! Suddenly, a black cat fell in front of them, staying close for several minutes before running away scared it had unknowingly brought them bad luck  
  
for the rest of the section except for Richter that had pet it and would be  
  
unlucky for quite some time...  
Alucard: That's it? A cat and bad luck?? Seriously, you disappoint me.  
Mi: Hehehehehehehehe... Out of the same hole that the cat had just fallen out of came a swarm of bats, each trying to feed of the two new victims. Immediately after them was a bat of tremendous proportions with the tail of a scorpion. It got a grip on Alucard before he had a chance to react. Richter noticed his friend's situation and sent a dagger reeling straight in it's leftern eye. The beast let out a wail of pain and sent it's large tail at the fool that had interrupted it's meal. Richter parried it's blow by throwing a large bunch of axes in every direction, slicing off it's tail. It turned it's attention on him fully now, but got a short sword (Basic short sword) in the throat instead. It let go of Alucard and used it's wings to try to tear  
  
out the sword. Instead, it cut it's own head off. Both watched, growing drips.  
Richter: Was it ... supposed to do that?  
Mi: Well... not quite... But it did prove it's stupidity... and you were lucky.  
Richter: Aren't we supposed to have BAD luck?  
Mi: Don't push yours Richter.  
Alucard: Can't you just teleport us to the castle keep already?  
Mi: And miss my big entry, no way! Anyway, we should stop talking like this... It removes most of the atmosphere I'm trying to create... and it's not a self insert fanfiction.  
Alucard: Allright, we'll try not to complain too much... The two rested up a bit and entered the depths of the castle, on the path leading down to the laboratories. 


	6. Chapter 05 Beelzebub

CHAPTER 5: BEELZEBUB  
  
The pair found themselves back in an exterior garden.  
Alucard: We seem to be back out...  
Richter: We were probably safer inside, look! A swarm of large black bats swooped down, each letting a flea man fall from their talons. The hunchback midgets bit and slashed the pair, but didn't do any significant damage. Both Richter's whip and Alucard's Mablung Sword (Spirit sword - Improves DEF) hacked down the enemies, but they just kept swarming them.  
Alucard: I have had enough! He took out a Fire shield (Shield with fire properties) and activated his sword, creating a large orb of fire in the sky above them. From it came out three flaming, dragon headed serpents that swooped down in all directions, burning down the hunchbacks and bats to incinerated piles of dust immediately swooped away by the wind. After that short instant, he put away both sword and shield and the pair progressed down the slightly scorched path to head up a flight of stairs to the back of the castle. After leaping a lot of holes in the bridge leading back in, they found themselves in a hall filled with stairs and Sword Lords, large armors wielding a large Greatsword (Greatsword of Aubec).  
Richter: I'll handle these. Judging from size and their swords, they should be pretty slow... He whipped one fast, but the armor caught it with amazing speed and jerked on it, pulling Richter in it's range. Before Richter could react, it had raised it's massive sword above it's head and started to lower it's sword on him. Fortunately, Alucard reacted faster, sending a Fire Boomerang (Flaming Boomerang) straight at it's arms, cutting them off and making it's own sword tear it in half.  
Richter: That was close, thank you.  
Alucard: ... ... ... you're welcome... The two kept going in the hall, taking down other such armors with more caution this time. After they were done, they were outside again, this time on a floor of inferior quality, as it started to disintegrate under their weight. After a rapid and dangerous climb, they reached solid ground again and found themselves entering the castle's back door. They were teleported back in the present where they made a startling conclusion...  
Alucard: The entity who brought Castlevania apparently mixed both reverse and normal castles together...  
Richter: It seems so, then we should beware and be prepared for some of our worst encounters. Immediately cutting Richter's speech came a small ball of fire flying straight beside his face. Looking in the direction it had come from, they saw that a lesser demon had been hiding behind one of the giant glass tubes filled with god-knows-what. Soon, another came out, and another, and another... so that in a minute they were confronted with an army of foes, varying between Demons of all kinds to Bitterflies, passing by Salem Witches and goblins. Richter summoned from himself a Hydro Storm and the crowd faded in a fury of wretched screams. The glass vials also shattered, laying on the floor a bed of broken glass and deadly liquids that got dissolved in the rain of Holy water. After leaving the long and winding corridor, they were in a small room where a huge corpse was hanged to the ceiling thanks to a large amount of Butcher hooks dug in various parts of it's anatomy: one per leg, one per arm, one across the hearth, one straight from the back of it's head coming out it's mouth and one across the groin. From it's putrid skin fell tons of small maggots and escaped freshly fed flies of tremendous proportions plus a nauseatingly vile stench that made them want to gag. As they went in closer, they noticed it still moved!! The corpse's leg tried it's best to kick the, but failed miserably. Soon, the flies around it attacked them, but they tore the vile creatures down and sent them crashing to the walls in a bloody death. They concentrated themselves on Beelzebub, the lord of flies now instead of his brainless minions. After tearing off it's in a few swipes of a whip and sending it's arms to the floor with a few well placed throws of the Runesword (Flying Rune-inscribed Sword), they found themselves striking off the head at the same time, making it burst in a gust of unholy flames. With no signs left of the decomposing beast but the rusty mold covered hooks, they left for further adventures in the strange laboratories. 


	7. Chapter 06 Satan

CHAPTER 6: SATAN  
  
Once they returned to the future, they saw a squad of demons head their way, bearing a white flag.  
Richter: Demons parlementing? It had to be a trick! He took his whip and it tore the flagbearer to pieces, sending it back to hell. The other demons looked in utter surprise from Richter to the flag now laying on the ground. They stared back at him with a look of utter dismay, soon turning white and evolving. Huge horns tore out of their back and head soon followed by blazing wings of incandescent flames. Their normally small talons converted to enormous claws capable of tearing across their friend's body with ease. Their muscles tripled in size and their tails became ended with three morningstars (Spiked iron club).  
Alucard: Nice going.  
Richter: How was I supposed to know they'd evolve?! The demons now completed returned their attention to their friend's assassin. As they bellowed a challenge, an enormous beam burst from their mouths, combining and leveling the spot of the corridor they'd just stood in. Richter was projected up into a small corridor above the ceiling and started to run further away. Alucard was in a corned, observed by three of the giant creatures. He noticed the demons had wings, but were just too bulky to fly. He turned into a bat and flew up to join his friend, just in time as the demons blew up the corridor behind them. The pair rested a bit at a crossroad, giving them time to think of which road they'd take... but their decision was taken for them as they heard the sound of metal against stone on one size, from the walking of approaching Mecha Zombies. They ran down the opposite hall, hoping to escape. The zombies stood at the end of the corridor, sniping them, but always missing until one threw his missiles. Fortunately, they'd expected the attack and parried it. Alucard raised his Medusa Shield, letting it take the blow for him and Richter whipped it aside. Alucard soon heard Richter wail in terror and felt something sinking into his fingers. He looked at his shield and found a large drill sinking fast into the shield. He threw it aside and saw that Richter's whip had been shattered by such a drill as well. The zombies tried to snipe their immobile targets, but found themselves out of bullets and so left to get more. The pair looked dumbfound at their idiocy and remembered that they were zombies after all... They kept going down the serpentine path to a room where they found a enormous orb of black liquid floating up near the tall ceiling. As they fully entered the room, the door behind them closed itself shut and the orb began to stir, it's perfect roundness shattered by a pair of taloned feet emerging from them until the full demon had emerged. It had clawed hands and legs, black and red skin, bat-like wings and a horned face with the ears of a bat. It's arms were crossed upon it's chest for but a second until it deployed them, sending black goo spraying all over the room. Where it collided, the floor seemed to melt away. It stared at the for a minute and extended it's hand to the orb it had come out of and it let it go in. Power left it's arm, making the liquid pulse and vibrate. It arched itself torwards them and sent the orb reeling down on them. The orb crushed them, making all their strength leave their newly tired bodies. When they'd reached their limit, it had faded, but the demon remained floating up on the ceiling near a small black divided into two distinct parts. On one side was a skull and over 100 small lines, on the other was a happy face and two fresh line it had just carved in.  
Demon: How surprising, finally a foe worthy of my time. Let me introduce myself, I am Satan, AKA the devil, the lord of darkness, the master of evil and other such nicknames. For over 50 years, I've awaited foes such as you, who might survive my attack. We will battle to the death, agreed?  
Richter: And why should we?  
Satan: For to continue on to the castle, you need to kill me, unless I wish for the door to open, it will not, it will also open if I am destroyed, so you need to do so. I'll even allow you to ask from me anything you wish, but of you loose, I get to claim something from you... He turned away from them.  
Satan: We will start in an hour, be ready. Above it appeared a small orb that split into two halves. Each one burst above their designated person, spraying them with black goo that restored their strength it had stolen earlier. And so the waiting began... 


	8. Chapter 07 Battle to the Death

CHAPTER 7: BATTLE TO THE DEATH  
  
For that long hour, the pair wondered how they'd defeat such a foe... Satan, the very incarnation of evil. Especially counting Richter was now weaponless and so not very useful in the approaching battle. Alucard would have to vanquish it alone or die in the process. As the clock rang the 12th hit of midnight, Alucard had equipped himself with a Dark armor (Impervious to evil attacks), a Holy sword (Cross hilt - Strong vs. undead) and a Holy rod (Anointed rod). Richter had just snapped out of his short depression over his loss, not wanting to also lose his life. Satan looked pleased and lifted his hand. Above him appeared a tremendously large ball of fire. He went up after the rising sphere and rammed it to the floor with both his arms for extra power. It almost crushed the pair, but failed to do any large damage on either. Richter took a vial of holy water and tossed it hard at Satan, but he merely flew aside, just into Alucard's sword range. The Holy sword flashed with intense holy light and slashed deep within the leathery scale. Satan, not very pleased with the vampire's bold move flew up to the ceiling and began flapping his wings rapidly, causing around 100 needles to rain down on Alucard, almost turning him into a pincushion. Richter, charging to his friend's rescue only found the devil to turn around, letting out of his open palm a large spray of Ice, freezing the room for a minute and then shattering. Richter, now enormously wounded tried one of his super moves, the Hydro storm. He unplugged a vial of holy water and whispered a short prayer. Afterwards, he threw it up into the air, allowing the holy liquid to fall into the air until the vial shattered. Clouds appeared near the ceiling, allowing concentrated Holy water to fall down across the room, causing the lord of demons extreme pain, as each droplet scorched his skin badly. It spinned for a second and absorbed Richter within the forming winds. After a minute, he stopped spinning, letting loose on the room a large tornado, blowing the clouds and the pest away. Richter hit a wall and ended up straight beside Alucard's wounded form. Alucard got up and threw his Holy rod at Satan. He easily dodged it, but when it shattered, it bathed the room in intense holy light. The two wounded men combined their Holy Cross attacks to form a more powerful version: Cross storm. The move sent millions of little crosses bounce around the room, slicing and tearing into the flying demon until it countered. The devil radiated an intense electrical dome around himself and them, destroying all the crosses followed by the dome gathering in his hand to project one highly volted ray crashing into them, shattering the floor. The two hit the wall, badly wounded, but that wasn't enough for it yet. It grew from the cracked floor a large tower. At the top of the stone formation came a flash of light that became a huge wave of water, crashing to the floor, into them and tearing out the wall, making them hit the next one. Alucard was out cold because of his weakness to water, but Richter managed to stay conscious to watch their foe's pained grin as each step drained a bit of it's strength.  
Satan: It's over, I've won and now your lives are ... ?!!! He noticed two large missile launchers made of intense light appear on the human's back, letting a dozen holy bolts scorching into it's anatomy.  
Satan: This... cannot... be... defeated by .... humans... He fell to the ground lifeless for a second before he disappeared. Richter found his strength restored and his whip fixed, all thanks to the light. When Alucard awakened, he consumed a bean and both unearthed the door from all the debris burying it.  
Alucard: You have to admit that was close...  
Richter; Hey, sometimes close is a good thing. At least we didn't loose...  
Alucard: True... Let's go! 


	9. Chapter 08 Blood Marble Floor

CHAPTER 8: BLOOD MARBLE FLOOR  
  
Back in the past, they were in a large room with moving platforms, a swarm of medusa heads and Bone Pillars. Bone pillars are dragon skulls piled atop each other to serve as stable firebreathing gun turrets. After proceeding atop the multiple risky jumps and avoiding the rising platforms covered in spikes, they entered a small room guarded by two Pikemen. The pair rapidly sent both back to whatever demon had generated them and went down a short staircase to a room filled with both bats and a dangerous watery path that served to the castle as an aqueduct. A small platform stopped by theirs and both leapt on it, landing atop it luckily. As they let it roam up the raging current, they found themselves faced with a wall with but a small opening beneath it.  
Richter: Duck! Both crouched as low as possible and managed to pass below it. On the other side was a staircase leading back up which they gladly took. Above was a small hall of statues and a decomposed ceiling letting the above floor show. They could clearly see down the hall a staircase leading to that floor and beside it was a pair of blood red eyes. Alucard flew up and reverted. He took his friend's hand and started to help him up when a red Axearmor charged them, it's axe flashing rapidly behind Richter who'd just reached the next floor. It pitifully jumped up and down, trying to reach them, but it was just too heavy to jump more than 5cm above the floor. The two advanced a bit more, beyond the staircase and found a long and winding hall where their only mean of escape was to jump from column to column while destroying all the bone pillars and medusa heads flying at them. By the end of it, both were exhausted and rested a bit in the room beside them, barely lit by a few candles. After that, they were in a large room where an armor awaited then, it's pike aimed at the floor, it's head in it's arm. It leapt up and dug it's pike in the earth, creating an Icy wave from the earth, zigzagging at them until it totally missed. The two violently hit it, making it drop it's head, but it never touched the ground. Instead, it started to float, throwing large lasers at them. Alucard took out of his cape a fire shuriken ()and threw it straight between the thing's eyes, allowing it to catch ablaze and disappear in a blazing storm. In the present, They were in a long hall leading torwards the hall of clocks and had to take out a few green Axearmors to reach the giant clock in the total center of the castle. By the time they reached it, the floor had opened and Richter fell in, his head triggering the elevator. Down below, Richter found nothing of interest in the sinister chamber and left to find Alucard. He reported his find and both left across the long hall torwards the future. In the future, the hall had drastically changed as the floor was covered in a red carped made of dried blood of all those that had previously died here. The statues were now grotesque deformations of their once magnificent representations. One by one, strange holes appeared in the floor, letting out a strange breed of fishmen midget format wearing a monkish robe and holding a lantern. After over a dozen of the creatures had appeared, Alucard and Richter had been pummeling on one for over 5 minutes and it hadn't even flinched yet, but now, it was right in front of them. It took it's small knife cleverly hidden beneath it's arm and viciously stabbed Richter with it, the bone snapping in a strange "DOINK!" noise. With one final strike, the creature was finally killed. Alucard gave Richter his last bean as both heard a loud sound. They turned around to seen a Tonberry taller than them, a small golden crown floating above it's head. It looked quite angry...  
Alucard: T... tonberry king... Run! Both leapt the barrier of tonberries and ran across the room of clocks, avoiding emerging tonberries until they bumped into something beyond the great clock. The large Cerberus leapt back and sent three fireballs flying at them. They avoided the blows and countered viciously. Richter threw a hundred knives at it in record time while Alucard and the demon turned it into a regular mountain of ice. The beast had eaten all the knives, but it seemed as if the frost had healed all the wounds it had acquired. Alucard tried his Thunderbrand, but ended up withy the same result. Tired of being tickled, it leapt on Richter, it's bulk nailing him to the ground as it's heads feasted on him. Alucard tried to help, but one of it's heads sent a beam of ice on him, freezing it to the ground. Alucard, still unable to just watch too out two Buffalo stars () and threw them straight in the beast's flanks, making it yelp in pain. Now it's attention was on Alucard, leaving the half-dead Richter behind. It leapt on him, but Alucard avoided it by casting the Hellfire spell. As soon as he reappeared, two huge fireballs streaked straight at the beast, making it cry in agony as the spheres pierced it, almost killing it. The demon "Fire spear"ed it and it died. Normally, Cerberuses are absorbing Fire hits, but Abyssal versions are quite weak to it. Alucard turned to his wounded friend and took out his bean pouch to find it empty.  
Richter: Leave me... I'll ... join up shortly...  
Alucard: Are you sure you'll be all right  
Richter: Yes I will, now go! Quite reluctantly, he proceeded back to the past, but he knew he could count on his friend to join up with him again soon... 


	10. Chapter 09 Dopplegagner

CHAPTER 9: DOPPLEGAGNER  
  
For once, Alucard did not encounter a past, but still had the present to deal with. He emerged out of a door and had the choice of either going down or up. He took the stairs leading down and dealt with the outcoming medusa heads until he'd reached the bottom, a small lookout post with a telescope. He peered into it and saw a man levitating in mid-air, head bowed and had two large swords on his back. His features were hidden but his cowl.  
Richter: So, what do you see? Alucard jumped up, startled by the sudden voice.  
Alucard: Richter! I saw a man floating in the sky.  
Richter: Let me see! ... there's nothing there. Alucard checked again and confirmed Richter's saying. The man was gone. The pair traveled back up until they entered a hall with three Axelords that didn't last one minute. Beyond was a staircase up that lead to a room with a large gate and a sealed door. As soon as they entered, the door behind them barred itself and the gate opened. Leaping out of it came Alucard. Both Alucards fought, but the real one slayed the foul intruder with a few strokes of the Sword familiar. The gate closed and both doors opened. Beyond was yet another staircase leading to a wooden door and beyond. They crossed the door and were now in a hi-tech tower. In front of them was a modern elevator with touch control and electronic speed control to avoid having people loose their lunch, but unfortunately, it was locked on turbo speed. The panned bore three buttons BF, where they currently were, 1F and 2F. Alucard pressed the nearest one and had a Baaaaad feeling about this place. on the chosen floor was a small door and beyond it, a door with a small keyhole and lots of room. Alucard heard a sudden rush of wind and found behind him the man from earlier, shiny blue broadsword at hand beside a newly disarmed Richter. The man stood up again, letting Alucard examine him better. He was around 6 feet 10, long blue hair visible from beneath his cape, had two magical broadsword and wore a beholder skin armor beneath his clothes. His eyes were still hidden, but his mouth bore a pleased grin. Richter tried a crude blow with his dagger, but the man gracefully sidestepped it, twisting Richter's arms and releasing him again.  
Richter: Alucard! Don't just stand there, help me!  
Alucard: OK... I guess... Both fought the man and didn't fare to well when Richter was unarmed. He leapt back, but found his foe stepping on his precious whip, so he tacked him and leapt back to retrieve it. Richter grabbed his whip and three rapid blows had sent his foe to the ground with a great ferocity. Richter grabbed the man by the border of the cape and brought both faces to an even level.  
Richter: Now you'll die, you Castlevania scum!  
-----: And what good will this do to our world?  
Richter: Why, I might get a promotion off the boss!  
-----: And who is this boss of yours?  
Richter: Why, the lord of this castle of cour...  
-----: Just what I wanted to hear. The man put both his arms beside Richter's and pushed hard, bringing them together right after to let an energy bolt streak into Richter, nailing him to the wall. The man put both swords back in their sheets and took out a sword made entirely of a thin blue light, but the beam was big enough to match a current Longsword. He glowed red and charged Richter. He'd just gotten up and held a sword of dark energy in hand before the man's sword crashed against him, nailing him back into the wall followed by a fury of hits making Alucard admire the man with such great techniques. After a grueling rising blow, the man retreated for a second and let power gather in his sword. He advanced again and sent Richter flying up to the ceiling. He jumped after his prey and started to land a 13 hit combo ending with a slash from side to side in a giant explosion and letting the defenseless man fall to the floor, almost snapping his spine. When the man landed, his hood fell back, revealing his long blue hair. He turned to Alucard.  
Man: It's been a long time Alucard...  
Alucard: Magus? Aren't you dead? It's been over 200 years!  
Magus: I'm not so easily dead, ya know!  
Alucard: Why are you here anyway?  
Magus: Why help, that's why! You're to weak to take down this place by yourself, the readings are skyrising around here!  
Alucard; Well, I used to have Richter, but you kind-of uselessly killed him!  
Magus: You're not going to cry over the death of a Dopplegagner, I hope?  
Alucard: Why would he be a Dopplegagner?  
Magus: Don't you remember? The author has a grudge against Richter since chapter 4.  
Alucard: How could you know, you weren't there.  
Magus: Inspect every shadow next time before announcing something like that! I've been with you since the beginning.  
Alucard: Anyway, what's that about a Dopplegagner?  
Magus: Like that one you fought in the present. Richter isn't in any shape to use a sword like this... He tossed the sword to Alucard and immediately recognized as a cursed sword of evil.  
Magus: And also he was fighting with his Right hand while Richter's dominant hand is his leftern one. Magus grabbed the quasi-corpse by the collar and lifter him to his level.  
Magus: Now tell us the name of you master and I'll heal you up.  
Richter: A...luc...ar...  
Magus: Damn! Don't die on us now! Who?  
Alucard: Stop insisting. He's dead.  
Magus: Well, that's just great! Our one chance of learning our enemy's identity just slipped between our fingers.  
Alucard: Did you hear what he was saying as he was dying?  
Magus: No, what?  
Alucard: He was mumbling my name. Could it be that I am the future lord of this castle? 


	11. Chapter 10 Ragnarok

CHAPTER 10: RAGNAROK  
  
After a short philosophical debate on where to go next, the duo chose to use the elevator and try to see what lies upon the upper floor. After pressing the 2F button in the elevator, the pair stood before a wooden double door with a weird hollow skull traced within it's center. There were no keyholes or handles whatsoever. Magus and Alucard tried pushing on them, but they refused to move. All of a sudden, the door grew red and both felt a tremendous magical blast repel them back into the elevator, the shock of the impact sending it reeling in freefall down a floor. They noticed a smaller wooden door behind where they had fought Dracula's dopplegagner. On it was the word Library and a keyhole. They tried a multitude of ways to force it open including lockpicks, but it also refused to budge. Not satisfied at all with themselves, they went back down to the Blood Marble Gallery.  
Alucard: Hey, I just remembered that there was a huge area beneath the giant clock in the center of the gallery in the past where there was nothing, maybe there is something now. Richter and I had to pass it because of a bunch of tonberries guarding it.  
Magus: Tonberries, eh? This might be worthwhile... Magus lead the way back torwards the exact center of the castle where the clock layed, taking care of the meager foes standing in their way until they reached tonberry heaven behind the cerberus' corpse. Magus withdrew his swords and started to hack into the mob of monkish fishmen. Rapidly he'd decimated or let run all of them. Once within the center room, they found the giant hole leading to some lower area. Magus went in first and called for Alucard to follow from the darkness below. After a short fall, he landed in front of another hi-tech elevator and both used it to arrive in a large hangar where a spaceship was stored. It was around 108 meters long, 54 meters high and 77 meters wide. It was mostly red, but some parts were invisible, revealing the grey metal forming it's circuits. It was made mostly to look like a dragon, now considered legendary beasts.  
Magus: Alucard, say hello to the Ragnarok.  
Alucard: How can you tell it's name so easily? Magus pointed for Alucard to follow. He jumped on the propeller and up on the ship's neck and found a hatch there. Right beside it was written in white letters "Super High Mobility Flying Ship RAGNAROK". Magus forced the hatch open and slipped in. Alucard followed him inside and found Magus stabilizing the pressure and oxygen within the ship. A minute later, the door in front of them opened. Magus walked ahead confident in the next room where nothing awaited. Another door opened and they entered a wider room from a metal bridge above the floor. About halfway across it, they heard a roar and Magus crouched down, forcing Alucard to do so as well. Looking across the tint-free glass, they saw a hideous beast pass. It was consisted of three slim legs arranged in a triangular fashion, of a torso with it's mouth hanging from it, teeth that seemed like those of a whale, two slim but powerful arms and a conical face with two bulging yellowish fly-like eyes. All the rest of it had a slight reddish tone.  
Magus: Propagators, haven't seen any of those for awhile...  
Alucard: Propagators?  
Magus: Parasitic beasts of space. They feed off energy and can easily ruin a planet if a bunch of them attack at once. Quite skilled in combat, but weak to an immense amount of status ailments.  
Alucard: How can you know all of that?  
Magus: Tisk, Tisk. Do you really believe my friend that I limited my knowledge to what it was 100 years ago? I've learned how to deal with over 100'000 different monsters by now from all over the universe.  
Alucard: Oh goodie. You probably know everything that lurks within this castle, like that will help.  
Magus: Now pay close attention on how to kill them easily... Magus leapt off the passage and swung his sword high, sectioning the beast's scrawny neck, letting it's head roll to the floor.  
Alucard: So their head is their weakness, I'll remember that. Magus entered the large door into on e of the ship's hangars and ended up face to face with another propagator. Not having much time to react before getting eaten, Magus jumped up and slid it's mouth on his way down. Noticing an entrance to the beast's tough hide, he stabbed within the fresh wound and still keeping his sword thrust in, leapt with all his might to the ceiling, leaving a large puddle of blood on the floor and just as much on his sword. he picks up the beast's mouth and uses it's teeth to clean the blood off his sword before putting it away.  
Magus: That was too close for comfort, I'll have to stay on my guards.  
Alucard: Can you finish this alone, these beasts matter not to me the least. All I wish to do is exterminate whoever overthrew my father and leave this castle forever.  
Magus: Sure, if you want... Alucard left the room and found the beast Magus had slain a few minutes ago alive and healthy again, it's head on again. The Propagator rushed on Alucard, planning to devour him, but the half-vampire was too agile for it. he leapt at the right altitude and slid it's skull in half. The now brainless beast slumped to the floor lifelessly like before. Alucard ran back to Magus, finding him exterminating another of the beasts.  
Alucard: Oh Magus, you remember that alien that got the Louis XVI treatment?  
Magus: Yeah, what's wrong with the corpse, did it come back to life?  
Alucard: How did you...  
Magus: Propagators are renown not only for their ferocity and recklessness, but also for their awesome ability to revive. No one knows how they do it though...They returned to check on the two that they'd already slain and found in the hangar with the bloody propagator having two of them. One was busy reattaching members to the deceased one and then infused it with life. Magus looked at them and noticed that both were purple in color.  
Magus: I just figured it out, the Propagators are clansmen. The clans can be determined by the color of their bodies. When a clansman falls, another comes to revive him and returns to it's usual job, but no this time. Magus threw one of his swords across the room, successfully decapitating both at once.  
Magus: Come on, I'll help get you out, just wait for me a bit. Both went back to the center room, noticing the beast was still dead. Up on the catwalk, none awaited, but in the room with the computer awaited another one. Magus was ready for it and cut it in half with one mighty scissor-like stroke. Magus looked at it and found a yellowish body, now he has to find the yellow one fast. Alucard pushed on the trapdoor, but it refused to budge. Magus went over to the computer and gave it a command to open, but the power was out.  
Magus: The spare battery is out. We'll have to kill all the propagators to re-establish the main power before we can leave here.  
Alucard: Great. They went back to the hangar where Magus had killed the second red alien and climbed a small set of stairs to a room with a large energy elevator. Upon it was a larger than normal green propagator to it's right was them and to it's left and front were locked doors. Magus took the center one and left Alucard the leftern one. Magus ended up back at the catwalk while Alucard found himself in the observation deck. A propagator tried to ram him, but leapt aside into a row of benches and quickly backstabbed it in the center of it's body, slaying it. He returned to the middle room where they took care of the green one, but they were still missing one last one. Alucard stayed to guard the corpse against the other one. Magus went exploring. On his second tour, he noticed a small door beneath the catwalk leading to a small empty corridor, but there lurked the final propagator. It tried as all the others to charge him, but Magus, a bit bored, just shot a fireball straight in it's open mouth, frying it with a terrible explosion. The lights came back on from dimmer to full light. Magus returned to Alucard's elevator and noticed that all the corpses had disappeared like magic. the elevator brought them to the control center, the only place the parasites had not been able to reach because of themselves. Magus sat in the driver's seat and noticed a red button flashing with the words: "Incomming message". He pressed it and he heard a transmission from faraway.  
Radio: This is Eshtar Airstaion, Ragnarok do you copy?  
Magus: This is Magus Leah aboard the Ragnarok, how can I help you?  
Radio: Sir Magus, you found the Ragnarok?  
Magus: Wes, it was hidden in Castlevania, can you tell us anything about it?  
Radio: Well, it appeared out of nowhere 465 years after it's last disappearance and reigned terror across the world...  
Magus: Thanks for the info, I'm cutting transmission. So it came here from the past. this is all just a side effect of time compression. The past, present and future of the castle fusioned into one and this is what we're up against. Alucard bent down and found a small golden key with the word Library inscribed upon it.  
Alucard: Looks like this wasn't a waste of time after all... 


	12. Chapter 11 Misty Library

CHAPTER 11: MISTY LIBRARY  
  
Magus typed a simple command on the main keyboard and opened the cargo bay door to let them out. They left the marvelous spaceship and returned up to the gallery and then the outer wall up to the door written Library on it. Alucard slid the small golden key in the lock and they landed in the past. The room they were in was filled with bookcases and stairs leading up and down. Along the way were Axe armors and spear guards, but they were handled quickly. Around the middle of the road, ghosts joined in, posing more of a threat because they do aerial attacks, but Magus' blades sent them back to hell. The next room was fully vertical. The only way down was to follow a narrow staircase down to different platforms to take another step. One wrong step sent the user down to oblivion below. On their way down, levitating books attacked and worst of all were the flying skeletons. These varieties flew about, carrying a spear and shield to attack anyone in their path. So their descent was long and filled with the falling of bones that often became threats as they descended lower, almost tripping on the remains of the fallen... The room at the bottom was short, but the only way across were floating books roaming the sky in patterns and varying in speed. The two merely flew across the room and entered the next. It was filled with shelves, statues and paintings. The statues were mostly of demons holding up the Earth and collapsed when approached, almost crushing them more than once. The paintings were mostly of a beautiful young blonde girl but some were of weapons and some of other things. The bat paintings came to life, so did the hellhounds. Halfway across the room, they had to cross under a low ceiling of spikes. Halfway across, something rose under the carpet and charged them.  
Magus: Duck! Both crouched and the thing passed below them, raising them to the level where their hair touched the spike and left further. At the other end were the stairs leading out. In the next room were the same things except now there were blank portraits room which ghouls with sticks burst out to attack. In the next room was an enormous glass shelf in which an ancient armor stood. As they were in front of it, it burst alive, shattering the glass, creating a deadly fall of shattered glass. Both leapt back and stared as an axe and sword appeared in it's hands. Magus and Alucard both charged from different directions. Each got a swing off of a different weapon, but both dodged. Alucard passed under the hit while Magus leapt around the arm, passing fully over it before landing. Both striked it at once and it was shattered to pieces. It's death making the floor explode, the two just floated there.  
Magus: When will Dracula learn that pits just don't work?  
Alucard: He stopped after his battle with Richter.  
Magus: You mean the one where his room was just a bunch of pillars surrounded by enormous pits, in which one hit from a fireball, firebolt, contact or missed jump would kill on the spot?  
Alucard: Yeah, that one. Both crossed the door behind the glass and left for the present. They were in a room with three headless swordsman wandered the library, their head held by their other arm. One quick strike made the skulls roll on the floor... after watching the final skeleton imitate Yoricks for a minute, they put the poor sap out of his misery. In the next room were stairs, that's it. The next was a large and long room. First was a long shaft in which floating balls of ectoplasm floated about, swooping at foes and bloody corpses that used their large stakes as pogo-sticks jumped around.  
Magus: Ridiculous. They crossed the hall, either slashing the ectoplasms in half or cutting the sticks down, leaving the corpses grounded. Above that shaft was another one in which armored lions with retractable claws and flying books roamed. It was short... finally came the small tin bot. When they got close, it grew two long axe blades and charges, spinning them in circles. Two hits sent it reeling back, axeless, a long fissure on it's surface. It opened it's front along the fissure and revealed an SMG (Sub Machine Gun) that started to fire instantly. Both ducked back for cover. Magus took a shotgun out of his cape and shot at it, pushing it back and leaving it stunned for a second. Magus took that opening to jump op and throw a sword at it. It crossed the thing straight through, making it explode.  
Magus: Well, that's it for the Wizard of Oz rejects... They took a staircase down and ended in the master Librarian's room.  
  
Alucard: It's been a long time, old one...  
Librarian: Oh, it's you master Alucard! What do you need?  
Alucard: I need you help.  
Librarian: Young master, I cannot aid one who opposes the master.  
Alucard: You won't go unrewarded.  
Librarian: Really? In that case, just tell me what you need.  
Magus: Well, you could tell us what the hell's going on here?  
Librarian: I don't have to answer to you! Magus grabbed him by the collar and placed a sword at his throat when a titanic roar is heard, resounding across the castle followed by another one.  
Alucard: W... what were those?  
Libarian: Tremendous wyrms hired by the master's dark powers to guard his sanctum.  
Magus: Great... They left the old man behind and crossed the door to the future behind him. The future was bleak. A heavy and dense myst filled the entire library.  
Magus: This is going to be a pain, eh Alucard?... Alucard? No answer.  
Magus: Great... now I have to find him again as well...  
Shadow: The nether spirits roam this land of the damned...  
Magus: Nani?  
Shadow: Demons of all sorts of realms wander this castle in one goal, beware their wrath and beware the lord Galamoth.  
Magus: Galamoth? Nothing was heard, the shadow had faded. After several minutes of useless wandering, he saw a small silver light. He found the source pretty fast, a small silver feather.  
Magus: A griffin's feather... but silver? He picked it up and continued his search.  
  
***********************  
  
Alucard was alone in the dense myst, wandering, searching for the Demon familiar or Magus. After over half an hour of wandering, he came across a large light. In the center was a griffin sitting on it's nest. It saw him and rose, poised for attack. A griffin is a legendary beast made from the front of an eagle and the rear of a lion. It's sharp talons rose forth to strike, but Alucard slided back, unsheating his thunderbrand and thrust it in the beast, activating it, sending millions of volts streaking across it. It collapsed dead.  
Alucard: Well, that wasn't too hard... It rose anew, now mutated. It's body was now human-like, holding razor sharp talon swords. It sliced countlessly at him, trying to decapitate him until a silver streak came flying and lodged itself in it's face, making it moan in agony followed by a blue streak that cut it apart.  
Magus: Abyssal griffins... Just can't be killed until you return their silver feather situated somewhere within 500 meters... From the beast's torn body came the demon familiar and they left for the next area. 


	13. Chapter 12 Colloseum

CHAPTER 12: COLLOSEUM  
  
Upon their crossing of the twin Axed door, they were in a hall carved in the very earth within the long hall were many skeletons tossing pieces of themselves, fleamen jumping around for no reason whatsoever, bone turrets making the air light up with flames, but none of the obstacles proved of any use against their team, a few strikes of Alucard's sword or a slice from a Moonblade. In the next room, the crew found themselves near a small spikepit. The pair leapt over it and landed safely on the other side. Soon after, their was a large thud heard and a small rumble that made them loose their footing.  
Magus: Oh, right... better watch out... They progressed in deeper and found a small bump on their way.  
Alucard: Ha! This is too easy! He waited for a second for a bat to swoop down and attack and leapt to attack it, but Magus grabbed his leg and pulled him back. The bat got in close and was crushed by a descending piece of ceiling covered in spikes, ebbing itself in the ground. It rapidly climbed back up into hiding, pulled up by a system of chains.  
Magus: Quickly now, before it reactivates. After outsmarting a few more such traps, they entered a room with a very deep chasm. The only way up was to jump between little platforms attached to steel chains going up and down in an oval shape guided by two gears. They leapt safely up to the first platform and let themselves get carried up a floor.  
Alucard: This is strange, usually, those falling spiketraps are visible...  
Magus: The past has been slightly altered by the power it seems... be on your guard, this is just too easy... They leapt up to the second of the three lifts. About halfway up that one, Magus felt a sharp jerk of pain in his left leg and found a ghost sinking it's teeth into his leg muscles. His swords came crashing down into it and it faded once again in ethereal light. Around them, the air got heavy and rapidly, an army of the little blue ghosts had appeared and swarmed them.  
Alucard : Leave this to me... SOUL STEAL!! All the ghosts burst into little bubbles of light and entered Alucard, restoring his strength.  
Magus : Nice trick you have there... Here's our ride. They leapt to the third one and found themselves at the top fast and entered the boss' room. Inside was a large bull demon known as a Minotaur. It was around 11/2 times their size, with an axe almost as big. It walked torwards them slowly and swung it's axe down hard. Alucard dodged back and leapt up to strike it's face. Magus headed left and slashed at the Axe's handle, slicing it in half, leaving it's blade in the dirt. The minotaur, slowly walked torwards the exit and grabbed a chain and iron ball hanging on the wall above the door. Magus sighed and put his sword up. Alucard charged it and slashed the beast's flank. It headbutt Alucard into a corner and swung it's chain, throwing the ball tied at the end on Alucard. Magus gut in the way and tangled the chain around his sword, yanking it away from the beast's grip. He took his other sword and threw it at the bull demon, ebbing it to the door, dead. Magus healed Alucard and they headed for the present... after Magus recovered his sword. The present colloseum wasn't too different. The first hall lead to a hole in the floor and a bit further to an opening in the ceiling of even further to a metal grid that Alucard could cross in mist form.  
Magus: So, which path do we take?  
Alucard: Well, if I was alone, I'd just cross the grid and go to the boss, but... In this area, the boss is optional, we should be able to avoid him. Let's take the upper path, it's the most direct. The duo leapt over the hole and headed to the stairs leading up a floor. Up there, there were a few broke pillars and a few skeletons. The first large wave was of Skeleton blades. Apprentice skeletons learning the use of a sword. One hit from any of their weapons blew them to bits, the next ones were harder. Although lesser in number, the Blade masters were great foes. Wielding two short swords each, they gently advanced and rapidly slided at the pair, hitting their legs to make them fall. The two blade masters got up with a backflip and leapt at the grounded team, daggers first. Magus got his senses back fast and avoided the blow, but leaving his sword suspended there so the idiot would kill himself on it's edges. Alucard didn't react fast enough and got the hit straight in the gust, but the swords broke instead. The skeleton got back on it's feet and got a swing from Magus in the back. Alucard got up, a bit shaken by the hit, but no damage. They left the room and went down a flight of stairs and crossed the hall to a large iron door with a keyslot in it.  
Magus: So much for skipping the boss. They went back down the hall, past the stairs and into the boss' room. In it were steel coffins there was a trio close by and four further down.  
Alucard: 7? There were only supposed to be 3: Sypha, Grant and Trevor!  
Magus: What?  
Alucard: Trapped in these coffins were fake versions of my friends from the first time I went to Castlevania... but strangely the coffins are empty.  
Magus: And there isn't a key either. Alucard, you take the pit from the rightern side, I'll take the leftern side.  
Alucard: Allright. Alucard went back the way they came, passed beside the stairs again and leapt into the pit just before the door out. Landing on a small platform, he went into the small room and found it utterly empty. A red carpet was on the floor and a wall of bricks ahead of him was all that was there. He went out and leapt down lower. He searched the room beside him on ground floor and found a freshly killed owl there and some pieces of armor belonging to various living armors. Also, he found a few rifles, crushed bones and broken swords all over the long room. He went back out and went down the hall to another room. Near it was a giant beast whose legs had lost all flesh, now nothing but bones. Also, it's head had been torn off. In the next room, larger than the last two, there wasn't much but a fountain whose water had been frozen. As he approached it, he heard air moving fast and slided back just in time to avoid a falling dagger. Immediately after, the fountain exploded, letting a cross identical to those he and Richter used fly to mere centimeters from him before returning to their owner's powerful hands. He now faced three foes. A powerful Belmont barely weaker than Richter that luckily didn't possess the item crash command, a beautiful, long blonde haired girl dressed in a priest's white robes and a pirate hanging to the ceiling, a couple of daggers ready.  
Trevor: Well! Looks like Dracula sent another flunkie after us! Looks like we'll have to beat it up as well!  
Alucard: Wait! I'm Alucard! Don't you guys recognize me?  
Trevor: Alucard, Never heard of him! Alucard looked panicked from one old friend's face to another. This time, they weren't lousy zombies like last time, they actually were the originals!  
Sypha: Wait! I know that name!  
Alucard: Sypha...  
Sypha: He's Dracula's son! He must be the boss of this place, Let's KILL HIM! Alucard filled with despair. He had to kill those he'd fought so hard to defend... He leapt back to avoid Grant's daggers, Sypha's magical fire and Trevor's whip. Tactically, Grant was the weakest because of his problem to fight on land and if well timed... Alucard paused and awaited them. All three got in close. As Sypha threw her magical fire, Alucard jumped and threw an axe at Grant, making him fall to the ground... or more precisely, straight into Sypha's fire, burning him to a crisp. Alucard was falling, but heard a splashing sound. He looked below and noticed Trevor had dropped a bottle of holy water below him the liquid had ignited itself to flames by now. He used his double jump to leap back torwards the door and away from the burning water. As he landed, he threw his cross at Sypha, but Trevor whipped it back at him. It's return speed was too great and Alucard ate it head on. While on the ground he felt Sypha spray Ice all over him, freezing him in place. He struggled hard for a long time and managed to break free seconds before Trevor's whip came down torwards him. He stabbed forward at his old friend, impaling him, but also eating a full force whip him, almost tearing across his left shoulder. Now only Sypha was left. Alucard took the Runeblade on his side and threw it at her. The blade arced and cut the girl in half before returning to his hand, not even bloodied.  
Trevor: A... alu...card?  
Alucard: Trevor?  
Trevor: S...sorry man... that runt of a Dracul... brought us back... to kill you! You... did the right thing... Our lives were gonna... end anyway in two days!... ... ...  
Alucard: Trevor!! No... ... not again... He watched his friend's bodies disappear and headed back up to the empty room and headed right torwards the hall that liked his section to Magus'.  
  
***********************  
  
Magus went out of the boss' room and noticed the grid in front of him, that's all. As he walked torwards it, he pressed a switch with his foot, opening the floor in front of him and making an elevator come up. He went in it and it brought him back down two floors, near a small room. Inside was a table that served fro sacrifices. Near it was a person dressed in an executioner's robe.  
Girl: Ah, so you're finally here.  
Magus: Who are you?  
Girl: Don't recognize me? Well, it's better this way! The girl threw a major fire spell straight at him, almost hitting him. Magus' twin sword flashed out of their scabbards and into his hands just in time to block the girl's next attack. He charged her and she leapt aside. His feet entered a patch of vines that quickly wrapped themselves around his legs, stopping his movement.  
Magus: Damn! The girl started casting something big.  
"Master of the titanic and raging earth, allow me to borrow an ounce  
of your strength to bury my foes below uncountable feet of earth  
while sparing the fragile wildlife living around!" Magus, not wanting to eat a Gaia slave full frontal threw one of his swords at her, impaling her to death. She collapsed, ending her spell and the vine's grip on his legs. He went to her, took out his sword from her corpse and cleaned it on her brown robe. He then remembered what she'd said... something about knowing him and him knowing her... He lifted the cowl and found a cute long brown haired girl there.  
Magus: Eliria? What in the inferno is going on here? He went out of the room and went across the hall into the room at the other end. There, he entered the room instead of going up. In it were racks filled with weapons of all sorts. In the center of it was his foe. A gold elf taller than him wearing a green armor and helmet. At his side hanged a slim but long two handed sword. His long black hair cascaded to the bottom of his breastplate.  
Magus: Kathandryon? What's going on here?  
Kath: The only thing going on here is your death Magus Leah! The elf's sword came out and clashed with the moonblades hard! Kath stepped back and launched another assault, but this time as a stab. Magus leapt to the side and used his swords to push the elf's sword down. Kath plunged the sword into the earth and arced it torwards him, releasing it from Magus's grip and slamming it hard on his own swords. Magus quickly cast a fire spell, but Kath tore across it with his sword easy, not even reducing his power. His sword slammed straight into Magus' and tore one of the two back in the hall. The gold elf's assaults didn't stop. Lunge after slash came at him, which Magus parried as best he could, the man had a definite advantage of strength, speed and range with his sword. Magus Opted for something risky. As Kathandryon thrust torwards him, he threw away his sword and slid down to the floor, using his legs to grab the elf's and spin to the side, taking his opponent to the floor. He caught the gold elf's sword and stabbed him with it ending the battle.  
Magus: What is going on here? First Evana, next Kathandryon... He went up the stairs and found his next assailant. He wore the same type of armor except for the fact that it was blue instead of green. The moon elf's long green hair reached a bit lower than Kath's.  
Magus: Rhys? What's going on? Rhys smiled and attacked. Magus parried fast and stabbed the man.  
Magus: You attacked me and so are not Rhys. This must be what Alucard was talking about earlier, the evil clones... Only Evana's left... he went back out to the hall, leapt to the other side and headed torwards Alucard's section. In the link room, he found the last one, but not Eliria, the one that tore all hope away from him... Cilliana. The girl was gorgeous. She wore plain clothes, had long blonde hair cascading up to her ass and delicate blue eyes.  
Magus: C... Cilli...ana... ... The girl noticed him and walked over to Magus' side. She fell to her knees and threw herself in his arms. She cried there, wetting his shirt with her tears.  
Cilliana: I... I don't want to fight you!!  
Magus: Cilli... Even as an evil clone, you still don't wish to fight... your love for me was just that powerful... and I failed you... I let you slip away from me... Magus also began to cry. He soon heard a scream and felt liquid pour all over him. He lifted his head and saw Alucard, having just impaled the girl. He was breathing hardly from the run.  
Alucard: Magus! Are you alright? Magus? He noticed Magus's hair was a few tints paler than usual... He repeated his question and still got no answer... He was unreachable. Alucard felt a bolt of lightning go up his sword, shocking his hand terribly. He dropped the sword and reeled back. Magus' body coursed with dark bolts of lightning like the one that had hurt him. He also rapidly felt the wind rise. All around the elf, a small tornado caused by the sudden burst of power began swirling around him. Those bolts condensed around him, changing him...  
  
***********************  
  
Cilliana: No! Stop!!!!  
  
***********************  
  
Magus came back to himself in the center of a very large crater that expanded across both his zone and Alucard's. The vampire was with him in a critical state. Magus began healing him and barely saved the man's life. After recovering from his wounds, the duo found a small key in the center of the crater. They took it to the locked door and found it didn't match. Alucard took the key to the room below that had nothing and found a small lock on the brick wall. Inserting the key made the wall go u, revealing the location of a small key hanging against the wall. As soon as he took it off, the wall closed back. Alucard turned to mist and escaped under the brick wall. He went back up and unlocked the gate to the future. There, they found themselves at the entrance of a talking door.  
Door: Welcome travelers. Today is the day that the Castlevanian grand prix will be held. Do you wish to participate or watch?  
Magus: I believe we'll try participating.  
Door: So be it? What shall be your prize within reason?  
Alucard: For this castle to be destroyed.  
Door: That Is beyond the limit of prize askable.  
Magus: Simply to be able to proceed further in the castle.  
Door: Accepted so do your best. 


	14. Chapter 13 Elementals

CHAPTER 13 : ELEMENTALS  
  
The two crossed the door and entered the new colloseum. It was shaped identical to the colloseum in Rome when it was intact, except that this one had the advantages of technology. Cameras were flying all over the place and the seats were completely full with a roaring excited crown of humans, demons and others alike, all here to see the action that was going to happen shortly. The pair noticed the booth in front of them.  
Guy: Welcome to the Castlevanian Grand Prix. What are your names, brave fighters?  
Alucard: how did you know we were here to fight?  
Guy: because you were sent to the entry booth and not the ticket booth, that's why.  
Alucard: Fine, Mine name is Alucard Tepes.  
Guy: Ah, the son of Dracula, and your friend is?  
Magus: Magus Leah.  
Guy: THE Magus Leah?  
Magus: Of course, how many people dare brandish the name like that?  
Guy: P... please forgive me!!!  
Magus: Yeah, Yeah... Just sign us up already.  
Guy: And what shall you be competing for?  
Magus: For us both to proceed deeper into this castle.  
Guy: Okay, We'll cal you when the draws have been made until then, please follow this man to the waiting room. They did as the man told them and ended up in a waiting room, on their own, awaiting to be called out. After about 10 minutes, the micros in their room started a speech.  
Announcer: Well, welcome to this year's tournament. Once again, 15 fighters from a variety of races have gathered to try to defeat our undefeated champions, the 7 elementals, but will one succeed this year? The order has been randomly selected thanks to a bingo machine loaded with 16 balls, each with a number representing a fighter, the order they come out determines the fights. And now let's begin. Our first fight features... The first fight consisted of an elven archer shooting an arrow in a human's sword arm, that's it. The second was Magus'  
Magus: Well, wish me luck... On the field, he saw his foe, a large and very muscled man with spiky hair and an orange outfit made for martial arts.  
Announcer: Round 2 features the Saiyan Goku against Magus Leah  
Goku: So you're Magus Leah, a modern day legend...  
Magus: Save your breath, you'll need it. The battle began fast with Goku throwing himself straight at his foe and unleashing a volley of kicks and punches at incredible speed. Magus used one of his swords to absorb the blows, blocking at a speed similar to the Saiyan's. Goku leapt back and started something. He put both his hands to one side and they began to gather power Rapidly.  
Goku: Kamehameha! A huge energy beam charged straight at him. Magus, placed one hand in front of him and braced himself. The beam collided with his open palm and burst into 5 smaller beams. The largest passed under his hand, between his legs and into the earth, One to his left, one to his right, one passing centimeters from his face and into the sky and one colliding straight with his face, making him stagger a bit. He lifted his head and wiped the bit of blood flowing from his mouth. He brought back his sword to his hand and went on the attack. He started a series of vicious stabs a the saiyan to keep his attention high, not to his legs. Magus sweeped the floor with one leg, tripping the saiyan. As soon as he touched the floor, he started to get up and gently sunk half a millimeter of the tip of Magus' sword in his throat, making a droplet of blood flow down his neck.  
Magus: So, what shall it be now?  
Goku: I... I give up...  
Magus: Wise decision.  
Girl: Yay Janus! You show him! Magus turned at the sound of that girl's voice, scanning the audience for her and saw her... Cilliana.  
Magus: C... Cilli? He ran to the side and leapt up in the audience, landing beside her.  
Magus: Cilli, is that you?  
Cilliana: Sorry, but I'm just the copy from before...  
Magus: B... but you were pierced by Alucard's sword...  
Cilliana: Don't you remember, you healed me.  
Magus: Once again, my hopes up... Still, you're closer than ever... That's encouraging.  
Cilliana: And I'll cheer you like if the real Cilliana was here.  
Magus: Thanks. Round three was over with one slap. Round 4 was quite very scary. It had a HUGE purple, demon standing on all 4 legs. It had reddish hair, a large fin- like line of spikes on it's back and a similar line on both sides of the tip of it's tail. It's extremely muscled body made it's two razor sharp horns more dangerous than it's claws or teeth. It impaled it's opponent in a second.  
Alucard: Magus, Wh... what's that?  
Magus: A demon from the lower plains, a Behemoth in habiting the 8th plain, nothing an amateur can take on... Even I have problems with those...  
Voice: Will Alucard please report on the ring?  
Alucard: Guess it's my turn... Alucard stepped into the ring and saw a small red dinosaur on the field. It's head was leveled with the top of his armor, it's tail's tip was on fire and it looked angry.  
Alucard: What the hell is that?  
Announcer: And now round 4 featuring Alucard, against a Gmeleon.  
Magus: So... the G virus got here... The little reptile went in close. Alucard slashed it numerous times, but each blow just healed right back. The slashes merely made it a bit angry... It stopped close to him and stared at it's right arm. It had deformed itself, expanding the claws drastically and growing an eye on it's side, staring at Alucard.  
Alucard: What kind of devilry is this? The arm slashed him viciously, dealing incredible damage without piercing the armor. Alucard was projected away and managed to land on his knees, gravely wounded.  
Alucard: S... shit! Who'd expect a little reptile to pack so much punch. It breathed in and let out a grand fireball at him, yet again inflicting immense damage, leaving Alucard on the ground, unable to get up. The beast came in for the kill... well, more for the feeding. Alucard gathered his last ounces of strength for his desperation attack. As the beast got close enough, He yelled "Jihad!". His energy gathered into three spheres of holy magic and burst out in the beast's direction as three grand spears of light, impaling it with such force that even it's regenerative skills failed to block it, nailing him to the wall for almost a minute until the spell wore off, leaving it on the verge of death on the floor. The judges pronounced the conscious fighter the winner and dragged the Mutant Pokemon out.  
Alucard: I... Won... ... Alucard was brought back to the restroom where Magus congratulated him and continued to watch the matches. The next match was Richter against a Wraith... One whip hit banished it. Next were the Elementals... In all, they were 7 to fight at once... one per element or sub-element. They killed the poor guy they fought, and finally came another Saiyan called Vegeta. He punched his foe to death. And then it was the second round. The first match was Magus against the sniper.  
Eran: Prepare to loose! As expected, the elf took out his bow and shot an arrow at him at incredible speed, but Magus knocked it aside with his Moonblade. The other elf froze when he saw the sword.  
Eran: Ah! A Moonblade! I quit! Magus cursed his luck and stepped out to watch the next fight featuring Catoblepas against the Behemoth. Catoblepas looked at him and the Behemoth surrendered. That made Magus quite a bit scared.  
Announcer: And the next match features Alucard Vs. Richter.  
Alucard: Richter! It's me Alucard! I'm glad you're OK...  
Richter: Unlike you...  
Alucard: What?  
Richter: You killed my brother, you scum!  
Alucard: I see, you're another dopplegagner, aren't you?  
Richter: How perspective, but can you handle me? After all, I wield your friend's weapons and shape. Alucard Dashed forward and avoided the whip hit from Richter, slashing his hand off. The severed limb turned to puddle of blue goo when it hit the floor. The dopplegagner cursed his luck and took out a cross. Alucard, faster, threw his first, hitting the demon's straight back at him, cutting his other arm off. Alucard finished him Louis XVI style. The next match was Vegeta against the elementals. The Saiyan hit, punched, kicked and blasted the darn things, but never managed to deal a single damage. The Wind elemental got behind him and then swallowed him, cutting off his air supply. He let the guy out when his breath had run out. The medics dragged him off.  
Alucard: Great... I have to fight them next...  
Magus: Wanna trade place?  
Alucard: Why are you scared?  
Magus: The guy made a BE-HE-MOTH quit. That's why!  
Announcer: Now the first Semi-Final match between Magus and Catoblepas.  
Magus: Wish me luck, I'll need lots of it. He entered the ring and stared at the man in front of him. Vivid red hair was on his face. His clothes were all black and he had no weapons, so what did the behemoth hear to scare it off?  
Catoblepas: Hmm... I've seen you somewhere before...  
Magus: Nani? (What?)  
Catoblepas: So, ready to fight?  
Magus: One question first... What did you say to that behemoth?  
Catoblepas: Oh, it's quite simple really... Thanks, your mission's over. Magus recoiled in fear. The man's aura had changed drastically and had increased to a level similar to his own and it was still growing!  
Magus: K... kuso! (Damn!) The man's shape faded and became that of a Behemoth, but Red instead of Purple. His hair was also black instead of the reddish usual and bigger than the other.  
Magus: No... It's you... Behemoth King Catoblepas...  
Catoblepas: So we have met before... Wait... You're that kid from Evermeet, aren't you!  
Magus: Yes I am.  
Catoblepas: I don't know how three elves managed to kill me, but it won't happen again! The beast's horns longed for him, Magus barely blocked them from impaling him, but still received one hell of a blow, tearing a large part of his guts and taking a few ribs on his left side. Magus' expression turned to one of deep pain and pressed his left hand on his side to try to lessen the bleeding. He managed to keep a hold of his moonblade with his right hand and could still fight... although his abilities to dodge and block were cut in half or more.  
Catoblepas : impressive, you managed to deflect my blow, but... I'm here to get that fucking demon hiding here, so I have no time to play with a small fry like you, now begone! He gathered power in his mouth for the Behemoth's ultimate attack, A power that could devastate almost anything. It gathered power in it's mouth and being so damn powerful, a wave of pure energy burst from it's side, leveling the field and then came the biggie, a beam of concentrated power bursting from it's mouth at titanical speed, that nothing ever survived. Magus tried his best to shield himself, but he knew that only having one arm condemned him... The blast burst out, crossing him and destroying more than half the audience. Magus had lost a variety of limbs and was spewing blood from every inch of himself, but he still stood on his feet. His moonblades were both on the floor, without a scratch on them. Magus' eyes held open only through tremendous willpower.  
Catoblepas: Very impressive, you've survived my attack, you're the first ever to have done so... looks like I'll have to put a bit of power in it next time.  
Magus: NANI???  
Catoblepas: Oh well, let's not keep what's left of the audience waiting. Magus turned his head painfully and saw what other effect except his critical state Catoblepas' attack had done... The entire audience behind him was in shambles, corpses everywhere, blood covered what were once the stands... but one stood out... Cilliana. Magus' eyes went blank and it began anew... The skies grew to utter darkness, purple thunder rained across the field and Magus turned slowly, unharmed torwards Catoblepas' terrorized face. His eyes just as dark as the sky but for a dot of red in the center of each...  
  
***********************  
  
Magus came back to himself later, the colloseum in pieces. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing. The sky was blue, birds chirped. All around him was nothing but a crater with pieces of what appears to be stone in the center of a round wall covered in debris. He looked around and started to unearth the walls, trying to find the door out. He found the door that they'd used to get in, and after another 10 minutes of searching, found the way out. He crossed the cross marked door to whatever was beyond. His guess, the church. 


	15. Chapter 14 Church

CHAPTER 14: CHURCH  
  
Magus emerged into the castle's ancient church that had slowly been invaded by Dracula's minions. A light aura of Holyness filled the air, making it hard for most of Dracula's men to live here. Magus was immediately confronted by a large room filled with stairs going up around 8 floors. As he started to climb up to the third floor, he saw a flying skeleton with a shield and a lance charge him. Leaping upon the stairs, he let it crash into the stairs and break to pieces. Immediately, another charged... up to the top, the relentless assault of the suicidal skeletons continued and at the top, they stopped coming. Before the next room, he had to slice an Axe armor to pieces. In the next room, small fuzzy and invulnerable creatures claimed platforms as their own endlessly spinning around the platform, pushing off anything it touches. Magus leapt over it and got on the stairs. He heard a titanous scream and looked down. A Tremendous serpent was climbing up, destroying stairs and platforms, engulfing anything that entered it's huge jaw. Magus ran up as fast a she could, tearing every Axe armor to shreds if he had time, a few were merely maimed and eaten by the serpent. At the top, he rushed into the next room before the snake engulfed him. He saw the reptile's eye for a second and it retreated into the darkness below until another foolish person would attempt the climb. The platforms magically reconstructed themselves and enemies returned as well.  
Magus: Well, I'll never see an auto-raising screen the same way again... The next room also involved climbing up many floors on stairs, but this time the threat was bone pillars. The entire room was supported by them, which made their lives vital unfortunately.  
Magus: Damn, can't kill them... wait... Bone pillars, eh? Magus put on a ring to absorb all low level fire attacks and spells. He strolled up the stairs, getting his strength back with every fireball or breath. After that, he emerged at the top of the church into a small room with the door to the present. All that stood in his way now was the boss, Frankenstein. The giant man tapped his feet to the floor and sections of the ceiling gave in, falling down and knocking him out.  
Magus: Um... right, I don't think that was supposed to happen... was it? He got no response. He leapt over the buried monster and went to the present. The present's Holy energy was greater than ever, stopping all undeads from existing.  
Magus: Hehehe... poor, poor Dracula had to deal with Holy type creatures it seems... Hope he got a paladin or two... Their handshake probably burned his hand right of... Magus climbed the statue in front of him to the upper floor, a giant staircase.  
Magus: Enough with the stairs already! On his way up, he fought and defeated a bunch of soldiers.  
Man: Halt there fiend! How there you trespass in this holy place! I shall put a stop... He tripped and rolled down the stairs, leaving Magus with a drip.  
Magus: Is it just me or is this becoming completely stupid? He continued to climb for awhile and saw a bone pillar holding something behind it. It's skull was all fractured and would break if hit. Magus sighed and slashed it. At the same time, the idiotic paladin from before had went to get 10 of his comrades and all were running up to him.  
Man: There he is! Get him, destroy the evil one! The bone pillar had been a trap, behind it was a huge spiked ball that started to tumble down the stairs fast. Magus leapt over it and landed at the top of the stairs the pillar was guarding, but the paladins now had to deal with it... The ball kept rolling, leaving a puddle of Holy blood all over the clean stairs...  
Magus: Okay author, that's enough Enemies are stupid jokes already. He entered the next room where a big sword just floated there. After he made a few steps in, a bunch of smaller swords appeared, forming two wheels, one of four larger swords and between those swords was a wheel of 8 smaller swords. As the sword got in closer, the two wheels spinned fast, making them hard to see. Right beside it was a huge cross tied to the wall...  
Magus: What did I just ask you? I am not cutting down that cross!! Magus sliced the sword, tearing across both wheels and slicing the evil sword in two. In the next room was one rickety staircase...  
Magus: Not another damn staircase!! ... that lead up to a wooden platform. Magus went up it and found a small room connected there. In it was one LONG hall whose walls, floor and ceiling were covered in spikes. In the center was also a metal grate blocking all forms of passage. Magus sighed and headed back higher in the last room. On the floor above him was a ghost wielding a sword, right above it was a giant bell...  
Magus: Can't you take a point? No Enemies are stupid jokes!  
Author: Hey! That's how the game is done! SOTN church has a Hunter spirit under a giant bell, it's not my idea! Magus sighed and killed the ghost, going in the next room, a horizontal hall, followed by another vertical bell tower and another hall and then the boss... In the room was a hypogriff, a beast made of the front of an eagle and the back of a horse... I think that was it... make it red and there you have it! The beast Inhaled and let out a fire breath. Magus, still having his ring on, absorbed it all. It rose in the air and dive bombed at him. Magus got in a defensive stance and got a corpse on him, the beast's head detached. He got the corpse off of him and noticed an elf at the other end of the room, near the gate to the future. He was wearing a blue mail, a blue cape, long green hair and was a moon elf. He was putting away his sword.  
Magus: Rhys?  
Rhys: So we meet again, it's been awhile, eh Janus?  
Magus: Nani? Janus, I'm Magus and you know it!  
Rhys: Oh? You seem to know less about yourself than most others it seems.  
Magus: What do you mean?  
Rhys: Inside you dwell two spirits. One is Janus, the elf we met on Evermeet that fell in love with Cilliana and the other one is Magus... whom we know nothing of and is currently in control.  
Magus: Anyway, why are you here Rhys?  
Rhys: Ah true, Magus has no idea... I am Janus' guardian, so I'm bound to follow and protect you.  
Magus: WHAT? But I don't need a protector!  
Rhys: Oh really? Then explain to me what happened at the colloseum in both present and future.  
Magus: Well... um... ah...  
Rhys: Thought so. Janus grew and undying love for Cilliana and grew a bond unmatchable with her... a bond that luckily seals his true power from him. If something happens to her, that power breaks free... but since it's being conducted through YOUR body, a body of the shadow element, the power negates and weakens, but makes you loose complete control over your actions... Actually, with the little you can sustain, you'd have enough to blow up the universe a few times in a row...  
Magus: What? And what am I supposed to do about it?  
Rhys: The only was is to separate you and Janus into two separate bodies... but that's WAY harder to do than say... I'll warn you when I find a way, until then, we will meet quite often... oh, and if you DO find Cilliana, keep her safe, for your sake. He leapt into the gate to the future.  
Magus: Wait! He leapt in after the man, hoping to get a clearer explanation.  
  
" Author note: Sorry if I confused you a bit with all that, but if I did, don't worry, that subject won't be mentioned again until WAY later... so just keep that in mind and keep reading like I never wrote it since most of you will never get that far... " 


	16. Chapter 15 Unholy Altar

CHAPTER 15: UNHOLY ALTAR  
  
As he crossed the gate to the future, Magus' senses were overwhelmed by the now Evil aura the church had...  
Magus : N... Nani(What)? How can the Castlevanian church turn to evil? This place gets holier by the year to try to counter the growing darkness of the rest of the castle... but this is definitely not holy. Magus proceeded inside carefully, one sword in each hand. He crossed into the next room, a long hall and spotted a trail of green scales. He bent down and picked one up.  
Magus: This is a Medusa's scale... but why do I find a trail of scales? He followed the trail across the hall and in to the next, larger room. In the center of it were four Medusa quarters. Coming in between the four quarters were large lines of blood forming an X across the floor, going up the walls and joining in the same fashion on the ceiling.  
Magus: What could've done this? Slice a Medusa in 4 from the front and leave such a trail of blood across the room? He went to check on the pieces and found them empty, except for a slime- like residue.  
Magus: No... This is different... I think it evolved instead. He looked around the room and saw three doors out. Neither had any sign of the Medusa's passage, so he had to take a guess. He went down the path to his right and ended up in the arms of one hell of a beast. It was completely black, seemed kinda liquid except for it's two red eyes in the center of it's forehead. The beast's appearance shifted to a black panther. It roared at him and dissolved for a second, reforming into a huge jaw that lunged at him. Magus barely dodged it and turned to face the cat again. It stood there, gathering power in it's nose, deforming it's face into a spear and extending it torwards him, practically impaling Magus on it. It put it back to normal and leapt up, starting to spin rapidly until it came crashing down on him. Magus got the blow full force, but managed to recover fast enough to swing at the beast, causing three projectiles to shoot out of it's body and ebbing themselves in his arm, making him drop one of his swords.  
Magus: Kuso(Damn)! The beast studied him intensely and planned it's next assault. It Melted into a puddle on the floor and approached him, then resumed it's bite attack. Magus sidestepped it and cast a light blast spell. The room filled with a tremendous light, clawing and disintegrating the beast's form, revealing a red pulsing ball floating where the cat had been. Magus slashed it viciously and it grew blood red. The cat reformed around the ball itself now blood red. It started it's assault again, but rapidly exploded.  
Magus: Dammit, what are those things? They're damn hard to beat! He hear a strange sound and saw a red gate form on the ground and out of it was emerging another such cat. Magus panicked and dashed outside, closing the door behind him. Now back in dead medusa room, he healed up and took the Left path. He got to a room whose entire floor was made of bones. In it's center was one man, unarmed.  
Man: So... another for the pile...  
Magus: What?  
Man: You've entered the church of the damned and you think you'll just waltz through? The man extended his hand torwards his foe and Magus felt his power leave him rapidly, being drained away by his foe. Magus grabbed one of his swords on his back and threw it like a boomerang, making it spin rapidly, slashing the man numerous times and then returning, but he still stood, nothing more than one bloody slash in his stomach.  
Man: Heh, that was quite impressive... Master Galamoth was right to place guards like me around the castle.  
Magus: Galamoth?  
Man: Our master Galamoth is a demon lord of royal blood, but the Nether King took the throne in his place. We, the demons loyal to our master are gathering within this castle to take him down. Oh... and thank you so much for disposing of that meddlesome Catoblepas for us.  
Magus: What? Catoblepas was after your master?  
Man: Don't worry about it, because you won't live long enough! The man replaced his hand in front of him, but this time Magus knew how to stop him. He placed his hand in front of him to contain the absorption on that place alone, but this time, the flesh and muscles dissolved, leaving nothing but bones. The demon sucked his very essence away, destroying any physical obstacle in it's way... Magus bet his life and charged the man, slashing with all his strength at the man's neck, managing to cut off his head. Magus once again started to regenerate and went back the way he came. He took the center path into a large room. As soon as he set foot in it, it blew to bits, leaving Magus mangled on the floor. After more regeneration, he returned to the center room. There he heard footsteps. HE stayed hidden and saw a normal zombie dressed into the robes of a priest enter the room and head torwards the boneyard. Magus discreetly followed and saw the zombie cross the room and walk across the wall in front of him. Magus followed and also crossed the wall.  
Magus: It was only an illusion! But why? He turned around and saw something amazing. Across the room he was in were hundreds, perhaps thousands of zombie priests gathered in a titanous room. In the center was an Unholy altar, a rare and extremely powerful artifact. It was composed of a black altar with runes carved in blood ebbed all over it's sides, four razor sharp spikes, one in each corner, one huge axe blade suspended above it and a symbol Magus had never seen made of magic in between the two. It was green with a very pale hint of red. Beside it was a man dressed in the robes of a monk. After closer examination, he noticed the fact he had no legs, but a snake tail and he had boobs.  
Magus: So there's our medusa as well... One of the zombies rose and went up to the altar. He layed on it and impaled his hands and legs on the spikes, letting blood flow onto their surface, making the huge blade move down and slash the zombie in two. The two parts were then enveloped in darkness and pieces started to fly all over the place. Bits of intestines, piece of skin and even the brain flew across the room. The darkness dissipated, leaving nothing on the altar and a corner of the symbol became a bit closer to red. Magus : Um... Eww... let's just annihilate the bunch and be done with it. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows  
  
Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows.  
In twy great name, I pledge myself to darkness  
Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed  
By the power you and I possess  
Dragon Slave!" A dark beam burst from his hand, flying at great speed torwards the Medusa and colliding hard, becoming a destructive dome spreading fast across the room, annihilating the horde of zombies, but the medusa and the altar remained... The medusa's robes had disintegrated. It was a human-sized snake with two arms made of two live snakes.  
Magus: Well, this is the dreaded Gorgonite, let's see what it can do. Magus charged across the room fast, reaching it with no difficulty, but the beast's eyes turned grey and looked at his left arm, instantly turning it to stone.  
Magus: My arm, you bastard! He slashed at the beast's eyes and pierced both. The beast coiled back in pain and two blades came out of the mouths of the snakes forming it's arms. It lunged fast in his direction, managing to knick one of his legs.  
Magus: Ha! Is that the best you can do? He went forward, finding he couldn't move his legs anymore, both had been totally stoned and the stoning was going higher and higher with each second.  
Magus: Damn, that's one hell of a stone spell... Magus Dug his sword into the ground and threw his other one straight at the medusa's lower body. He then grabbed the other and threw it at it's neck. The beast sensed the sword coming at it's lower body and used it's sword arms to deflect it, but noticed the other too late and died, releasing Magus from it's Infernal stoning. He took his swords and brought them down on the altar, breaking it to pieces. The room's floor gave out and Magus fell into the deep chasm... 


	17. Chapter 16 Caves

CHAPTER 16: CAVERNS  
  
Alucard panted behind the door of the colloseum. He could feel an energy unlike anything he'd ever felt being deployed, growing by the hundredfold with each passing second, menacing to engulf the entire castle if it kept rising... It suddenly stopped growing and went down drastically. Alucard opened the door, but found the other side filled with a very thick wall of rubble, stopping from even thinking of getting through. He started to think.  
Alucard: Hmmm... There has to be some other way to proceed... Hmmm... After the colloseum should be the church normally and the church used to be connected to the caves, so maybe... He headed back down to the blood marble gallery and started to search for an access corridor to the caves. After almost an hour of exploration, the demon familiar found a small switch in the wall of the Ragnarok hangar. On the other side was the door to the caves. He arrived in a very smelly cave with a giant river made purely of mud with large stalactites serving as platforms. Most of them had lost their top for quite some time now... He started the crossing, soon discovering that the bats didn't like his presence, swooping down to attack him. He slashed most of them off, but eventually, one got to him, covering his face, making him fall off his unstable perch into the river of mud. Desperate to see before he fully sunk into the muddy stream, he unsheathed his Marsil Activating it's special effect, unleashing flames all around him, frying the bat instantly and didn't bother to add the swing that's supposed to follow. He felt something dragging him down into the river then. He stared down and saw a hand made of mud holding his leg, pulling him down. He swung, cutting the hand off. He looked around and saw dozens of human-like golems made of mud emerging form the surface of the river, all intending on taking him down with them. They slowly crept torwards him. Alucard had his Marsil fry them all with it's special, but no matter how many he killed, they always reemerged, seemingly unharmed. Alucard turned into a bat and flew over the seemingly endless army and the eternal struggle not to be dragged down. He reverted on the first safe spot of land there was. From there, he made three jumps and had left the room. The newt was simple. On the bottom was Alucard and an Axe armor, on top were bone throwing skeletons and a spear guard. Alucard moved in closer to attack the axe armor while avoiding various bones and spear stabs coming from above. Once he got a bit closer, the Axe armor charged him and slashed him with it's axe, causing damage and making him reel back to the beginning of the room. He crossed the annoying room again and got charged again. This time he turned to mist and reverted as soon as the armor was done passing him and slashed it in the back, destroying it. With that threat dealt with, he climbed the stairs and dealt with the two skeletons and the spear guard with one special effect of his Marsil. The next room was quite similar to the first, but had a suspended floor instead of friggin stalagmites and here the mud was green... the same green as someone's puke... He climbed up to the floor and started to cross the room, noting large parts seemed unstable... also, those annoying bats were still around. He threaded carefully on the unstable floor while burning bats to cinders. The first half went well and he went up to the second half. Seeing the stairs leading up made him have a brief moment of distraction and allowed a bat to strike him... again. He fell on the floor, making it flip, tossing him down to the green mud below. Not wanting to get close to it, he turned to a bat and looked down at the millions of hands below, all awaiting his fall... it's almost like if the mudmen and the bats were working together. He stayed under the floor and continued his progress. Now the bats didn't bother him anymore, he was one of them. He swooped up and reverted on the stairs, climbing to the next room. In it was a giant golden skeleton known as a Paralanthropus. It swung a huge bone at him. Alucard raised his flaming sword and blocked the strike. The skeleton continued to push down with it's bony arm, forcing Alucard to use both of his to keep his sword from going down, but still, the skeleton's power was slowly driving his sword down. Alucard's face slowly covered itself in sweat. Much to both's surprise, the bone was cut in two because of the skeleton's constant pressuring on the blazing sword. It stamped it's foot angry and Alucard chopped it's head off. The demon familiar returned to his side.  
Alucard: And where were you gone?  
Demon: Helping of course... Alucard saw what it meant. In front of him was the remains of a White dragon, a magically animated serpent dragon tied to a wall to serve as it's guardian. It's skull had been pierced and it's spine was in pieces, it had obviously tasted the dreaded Holy Light spear, the demon's ultimate move. In the next room was a low ceiling over another river of mud. On top of it all were more bats and mudmen and spikes all over the ceiling. The crossing was hard, but not impossible. After a very slow progress among the mud, the two reached the boss' room. Inside was a specter of a deceased magician floating near the stalactite filled ceiling. Alucard slashed time after time. Each time, the ghost took the hit, flew to the other end of the cave and tried to do something and got hit again, repeating the chain until it dissolved to dust. Alucard headed to the exit, but got hit in the back by a strange glowing sphere. The specter had reformed and started to assault him again. Alucard leapt to slash the ghost, but found that he now moved only at half speed, so his Marsil wasn't so useful anymore. He threw his Runesword, it's speed not hindered one bit by the spell on Alucard, slicing the ghost into dust with one hit. As it turned to ashes again, Alucard was free from the spell. To make sure it wouldn't reform again, placed a stick of TNT in it's dust, blowing the dust to nothing. He stepped into the present and found himself less in a cave than before. He was on a floor made of stone slabs before a descending staircase. He went down and immediately felt danger. He dodged to his side just before a spear would have stabbed him. He turned to face a spear guard. It raised it's spear for a full power swipe, but Alucard threw his runesword, cutting it in half.  
Alucard: Last time I passed here, I chose to take the path to my left... I believe I'll try going down this time. He descended a few more staircases to a small opening in the floor. Alucard leapt in. The ceiling was out of view in mere seconds, letting him freefall between four walls, not seeing either top or bottom.  
Alucard: Hmm... At the speed I'm going, if there's a bottom to this, I'll surely make a nice pancake... Speaking of which, I think I see the floor down there... WHAT? Alucard's feet had almost hit the floor when he finally reacted and turned to mist, going clear through the floor.  
Alucard: What? I just crossed the floor? I've never been here before... He reverted on the side of the small cave. He crept down carefully until he was down on solid ground again in front of a large cave. He entered it into a small cave leading into a hall. As he got close to the hall, a part of the ceiling crumbled, blocking it and letting a huge worm as large as him burst from above the doorway. It roared and charged him, tackling Alucard back in the last room, crashing hard in the wall. He got back up right before it's head erupted from the door and charged again. Alucard unsheathed his Marsil and activated it's special attack, lighting the air with intense flames as the sword's blade cut the air, leaving nothing but a burning trail of flames in it's wake. The worm caught ablaze, squirming and moaning in pain as it recessed back from where it came from. Alucard sighed in relief and heard strange noises coming from below his feet. He looked down and noticed the floor below him was caught ablaze as well. He leaned down to check how stone could catch on fire and saw the floor break, making him fall face first down another small fall... but face first onto a stone cylinder tied to the floor.  
Alucard: Ow... After recovering from his painful fall, he went into the new room he'd unearthed. Inside was a small dock and a sign. On the sign was written the following: "Insert the sign and help will come"  
Alucard: The sign? What sign? He looked around and saw a statue sized imprint of a mermaid in the wall. Alucard started looking in his cape, taking out various junk until he got out a rusted, dented, half destroyed seemingly golden statue of a mermaid.  
Alucard: Now how did it get this damaged... Little flashbacks start popping in his head. The first consists of him getting on the passer's boat and the statue falling into the lake there. Right before they left, the statue came flying out of the water, hitting him in the back of the head, an angry fishman emerging from the lake.  
Fishman: Hey! There are people living in this pond, it's not your garbage can, you moron!  
Alucard: Sorry, it just fell out of my cape.  
Fishman: Fine, just don't do it again... He felt another rapid jolt of pain.  
Fishman 2: Hey! Some people are trying to sleep down here! What's the idea with throwing stuff on peaceful sleepers?  
Alucard: Sorry, it just fell off... Another painful contact with the thrown statue.  
Fishman 3: What's the bright idea, throwing this ugly piece of crap at people?  
Alucard: Sorry, it just... He gets it in the back of the head again... about a dozen more times until it finally lands in the boat.  
Passer: Are you done already? Next scene cuts to Alucard climbing a large wall of stone near a waterfall. He finally reached the top.  
Alucard: Yes! He hears clanking. He looks down and sees something golden falling fast, hitting multiple rocks on it's way down until it crashed loudly below.  
Alucard: No... Next flashback to his first encounter with a Hammer, a large green living armor wielding an oversized very heavy hammer. He dodged the blow by sliding back, but unfortunately, it fell out of his cape, getting the full force of the blow to crush it on the floor. Next was the Guardian's multi thrust and finally came the time he forgot it in a puddle near his cave while waiting for Richter earlier...  
Alucard: Yeah... I guess that explains it's state... He put it in the hole and heard rowing. From the cave's misty depths came the passer that had been deeper in the caves before.  
Passer: Well, looks like you need my help again...  
Alucard: It seems so...  
Passer: Well, it's fine by me... as long as you don't play with the fishmen again like last time...  
Alucard: Don't remind me, my head hurts just thinking about it... Alucard got in the strange man's boat and let him take him into the depths of the cave. At the other end was a small cave containing a stone slab. On it was a snorkel with a weird top. Behind it, carved in the wall was the following "To whomever reaches this cavern, upon thee is given the holy symbol, allowing one to move more freely around watery areas."  
Alucard: Hey, this might actually help me... He went back out and had the passer take him back to the cave's entrance. He climbed back up and went back to the debris room. He placed a stick of TNT beside the debris, lit the fuse and ran for cover. He heard the explosion and found the large boulders having been turned to countless little smoking pieces of rock on the floor. In the next room were stone pillars leading up and a few centimeters of water on the floor. He jumped to the first pillar, making the ceiling from where he came from crumble again.  
Alucard: Oh great! Can't that door stay open for a minute? He noticed the water below his pillar had begun to rise.  
Alucard: Oh great... Wait! I'll try that holy symbol I got earlier! He put on the snorkel and let the water rise. It rapidly covered him from head to toe. Just as fast, it covered the top of his snorkel, letting water flow down the pipe and straight in his lungs, almost burning them off. (For the less initiated, water is quite harmful to vampires, not only holy water) he rapidly jumped from pillar to pillar until he burst out of his watery prison, gasping for air. He stayed at the edge of the watery pool to recover his strength. When he was healthy enough, he ventured deeper in and found a large monster there. The top part was the upper body of a beautiful woman, next were three lion heads one beside another and then were countless worms like the one from before forming her legs. She pointed her arm forward and the worms charged him. He used his Marsil's special to fry them and scorch the lion's fur quite a bit. The upper part threw a disk made of water at him. He dodged it and cut her in half with one rapid swing of his runesword. The sword returned to his hand and he cleaned it in the small watery puddle at his feet, letting the monster's debris catch ablaze on their own, leaving only ashes of her left. Alucard went in the next room and saw his door to the future, but as he got close, the floor crumbled and made him fall back in the room he'd fought Scylla's worm in earlier... the one with the blocked exit. Sighing his poor luck, he placed a stick of TNT beside the debris, waited fro it to explode. When it did, a flood of water entered the room, soaking him and inflicting heavy damage. He recrossed the pillar room and Scylla's room to rereach the room with the exit door and found it blocked by debris now. Leaping over the hole in the floor, he placed another stick of TNT beside the debris and leapt back torwards Scylla's room to wait, but the floor beside the door gave way, making him fall back down. The explosion of the debris also made more debris block his way to the pillar room. Another Stick of TNT and two rooms crossed again before he stared at his way out.  
Alucard: Hey wait... I could've just turned into a bat and fly back to the top... Ah Dammit! He crossed the door, a bit frustrated at having wasted so much TNT uselessly... especially since it probably doesn't even exist yet... 


	18. Chapter 17 A Chocobo?

CHAPTER 17: A CHOCOBO?  
  
Alucard's first impression of the future cavern was that it was quite damp. Water poured off the ceiling's sharp stalactites. Alucard was in a long hall void of any form of life filled with the dripping spikes. He started to walk forward and soon felt quite in danger. He jumped back and saw one of the ceiling's stalactites had detached itself and had practically impaled him.  
Alucard: I'd better be careful... He continued to walk for a bit until another one fell, this time he barely avoided it and made him crash on the floor. As he tried to get up, his hand felt something on the floor. There were switches on the floor to make the damn things fall! Alucard turned into a bat and flew safely out of the cave. The next room was filled with a huge lake as far as the eye could see. Alucard transformed into a bat again and began to fly forward. After a good 15 minutes of flight, he reached a ledge. Once reverted, he walked onto a small room. Inside was a small Slot for an artifact and above the slot was some text.  
"Hidden beneath your feet, key of the deep  
Guarded by the annoying, acquired by the cunning  
Deep within the tides, the path shall reveal  
Once returned the sea shall obey."  
Alucard: What's this mean? Hidden beneath my feet... He looked at the earth and noticed the earth had been moved recently. He started to curse not having a shovel in his inventory. He kept reading.  
Alucard: Guarded by the annoying... There isn't anyone here, so it couldn't be under my feet... ... unless... He went back out and peeked under the ledge. He saw a small opening in the cliff under the ledge, barely above the surface, but too small to fly in as a bat. He sighed in a desperate fashion. He got his holy symbol out, strapped it on and eased himself in the cold water. Keeping the tip out of the water was the prerequisite for the artifact's functioning, so he swam close to the surface, going into the underwater corridor. Rapidly, he felt something wrap itself around his leg and he immediately gets dragged down. He looks at what got his leg and noticed a rope had been tied around it, at the other end was a heavy boulder. He rapidly slashed the rope and returned to the top where he wouldn't be breathing in water. His lungs burned from all the water that had come in during his trip to the bottom. He felt something fly by and bounce off the ceiling not too far from him. The ceiling above Alucard gave way and fell straight on him, causing quite a bit of pain. He heard laughing from below and guessed those were the "Guardians" spoken of above... He continued down the corridor for a bit longer before something hard connected painfully with the area between his legs, making him go in a foetal form, sinking his snorkel fully under the waves. After a breath of hot poison, he rapidly raised his head back and tried to stay at the surface while recovering from the bugger's assaults. He continued down the hall until he was at the end, in front of a wall. He looked around and noticed something shiny at the bottom. Ready to receive heavy damage, he dived down to retrieve the shiny. He reached and grabbed it without knowing what he just took and started to go back up. Alucard got heavy resistance from the small object, but finally got it free. He also felt heavy water movement. Staring down, he saw that the floor had detached itself and had fallen down quite a bit before crashing on another floor. He contemplated his object and found it to be nothing more than a pin. Swearing innerly, he continued his descend to the bottom of the path. Once at the remains of the old floor, he saw a small chamber on the side. In the small chamber with an altar on which was his artifact, a statue of a kraken. This statue also posed him resistance and he also managed to tear it out. He heard a loud boom shortly after. He hurried back out of the room and headed back to the surface, but found that his way up had been blocked by a new floor to replace the old one. He was running out of energy... his vision began to blur... he leaned one a wall to help support him and went right through it. He swam blindly across the narrow hall, crashing into the walls often until he saw light above, he raced for dear life to the surface, reaching it less than a meter away from the exit. He forced his body up on the ledge and passed out...  
  
***********************  
  
Magus awoke from his titanous fall on a hard and wet floor. His head hurt considerably and his mind wasn't too clear...  
Magus: Ow... What happened? He looked around and found himself in a cave. Around him were countless stalactites except for the small ring he was in. The ceiling above him had a large hole leading up for a very long time, the other end out of sight. Beside that hole were a multitude of stalagmites and just as many bats sleeping around them.  
Magus: Yeah... The floor in the church collapsed... I guess I fell down to the caves, I'm surprised I survived such a fall... He headed torwards a small cave to his right. Inside was a large hall going on for quite a bit. After a dozen minutes, he saw the exit. Beyond was a speck of yellow standing alone. As he got closer, he saw a chocobo. A chocobo is a large bird a bit taller than a man that's about a mix between an ostrich and a canary... sorry for the crappy description, but it's just hard to describe...  
Magus: Nani? What's a chocobo doing here? This is no place for a bird like you... The thing chirped and gently lifted it's left wing. Magus saw that the yellow feathers were covered in red. A deep wound was present in the bird's wing. Magus put on a smile and healed the bird's wing. It squawked happily and circled around him, jumping and walking.  
Magus: Thanks. But I've got to leave now... Magus headed out of the cave and heard that the bird stopped being so agitated. He turned and saw that it's feathers had gone completely grey now. It's feathers had a light glitter to them at the tip, as if made of daggers. The usually weak legs became larger and the flat claws grew more like a raptor's. It's back grew a line of spikes making it unridable. It opened it's blood red eyes and let out a terrific roar that might make a dragon cower in terror. It's beak was now filled with very sharp teeth.  
Magus: So this is, the legendary Hellchocobo... I thought it didn't exist. There's a tale speaking of a man, a chocobo breeder that had managed to breed a chocobo of unfathomable beauty and strength, one that won every competition it entered. It was his pride and joy. One day, his wife got fed up with his passion for the bird and gave him a choice, her or the bird. The man hesitated and his wife took that wrong. She packed and left, but as she left the house, she was run over and died. The man felt very wrong about what had happened and managed to contact the underworld. He made a contract with them to return his wife in exchange for something of his... He accepted before he asked what it was... They followed their end, but had lost more than he'd hoped... The underworld had swallowed his prized chocobo. The man never quite recovered from the loss... as for the poor bird, it was given to Evaris Elfslayer as a present. It got corrupted by the underworld, mutating it into what it is now, a demon, pet of the demon king and hater of all humans, for it never forgot the treachery of it's former master. It is said that if it dies, another is born in one of the lower plains and the young one will go kill it's father's assassin when he least expects it... Magus: I'd never thought I'd see one, even less fight one... It charged at immense speed, missing him outright, turning and stopping. Magus felt a sharp jerk of pain in his arm and noticed a gash there... He also heard a large portion of the cavern's wall crumble, where the bird had turned.  
Magus: So the wind it's speed generates is a weapon... this is going to be hard... He took out his swords and waited for it's next charge. Like the last time, it charged, not trying to hit it's target at all. Magus leapt at it and swung hard, but the Hellchoc veered and avoided the strike, spitting something at him, hitting his right arm. The liquid hissed and burned across clothes and skin until it hit the bone. That arm was now unusable. He sheathed his remaining sword and picked up the one on the floor for use. Once again it charged, once again he swung, and once again it dodged. It shot it's acid-like substance again and Magus threw his sword at it, piercing it's side and the tip came out the other side. It stopped running and collapsed. Magus healed his arm, unsheathed his other sword and went to finish it off, but found he didn't have the will to do so. He put his sword back and took his other one out of it. He bent down and healed it enough for the wound to close and for it to be able to walk, not run. He headed to the door and noticed it was following him, now back as a normal chocobo.  
Magus: Now what? It squawked happily.  
Magus: What? Do you want to follow me? It squawked happily again.  
Magus: Well this is unexpected. Magus pet the bird and finished healing it. The bird started to jump happily, circling him. Magus laughed and gave it a bit of food. The two went deeper in the caves...  
  
***********************  
  
Alucard regained consciousness a few hours lately. He got up, trying to remember why he'd collapsed and noticed his clothes were wet and remembered his deadly escapade under the sea... He entered the cave and went to the altar. As he examined it, he noticed around 6 tiny pinholes in it. He took out of his pocket the statue he'd risked everything to get. On it's base were 6 pins. He placed it in it's place and heard a great rumble followed by running water. He went out and saw that the lake's water had begun to spin at high speed, creating a whirlpool in the center. Alucard turned into a bat and went over it, seeing the ground in the center. He slowly swooped down, ready to fly out at the slightest sign of water returning to normal. He set foot on the rocky floor in the center of it. He looked around and saw a rusted trap door in the floor nearby, unearthed now from tons and tons of water. As he got close, one huge tentacle burst from the water, wrapped itself around him and yanked him in. He now faced a giant kraken in it's natural environment.  
Alucard: Dammit... losing strength... Haven't fully recovered yet... Guess this calls for drastic measures!! HE took out a thunder brand and activated it's effect, letting masses and masses of lightning travel the water. The electrically charged water zapped everything it touched, including Alucard, making him drop it. The bolts fried his foe in mere seconds and inflicting mass damage on him. He swam out of the deathtrap he'd created by dropping the sword while active, making it's effect permanent. He reached for the trapdoor and discovered it opened horizontally, so maybe below wasn't flooded. He yanked it open and jumped in. He heard the water recess and rapidly closed the trapdoor before water got in. He was now in a cave dripping with water. He followed his small corridor to the next room where the door to the past stood, but before he could reach it, 5 mecha-zombies fell from the roof. These were different from the past ones because they had large claws, spikes, wings and a tail. Alucard turned to mist and went across them, reverted at the door, opened it fast and slammed it shut, panting. 


	19. Chapter 18 Death

CHAPTER 18: DEATH  
  
The past seemed familiar to Alucard. He started on a stone floor and progressed a bit to a spot where the ceiling was dripping on the floor. Alucard got ready to cross the small droplets, he noticed they were eating through the floor. He waited for a small pause in the drops to cross. Next in line was a small line of mummies throwing bandages at him (We don't know how that hurts... I guess they squeeze hard?) Alucard used his Marsil's special and the mummies became walking torches. He proceeded, jumped down to the stairs and went down, jumped a pit and avoided a shower of acid droplets to the next area. In the next, he had spikes very close to his head and firemen in front of him. The slow but powerful warriors of flames left a trail of blazes wherever their feet touched the cold marble. Alucard used his Runesword to weaken them from afar and finished them off with one swipe of an Icebrand when they were in range. He went to the next room, avoided one droplet of acid and went to the next. Here he had water pits to deal with. He leapt the first and heard something move wind very fast in his direction from above. He turned to mist before a large spike covered ball crossed him. If it had hit, he would've gotten incredible damage, plus be thrusted into the watery pit while unconscious. He remained in mist and crossed two more such traps before reforming on a solid platform. He climbed some stairs, jumped a pit and ended in a room with a coffin in it.  
Alucard: Ah... So this is why this is so familiar... This is where I met Trevor so many years ago... He crossed to the next room, torched the mummies and went to the present... but ended up in the future...  
  
***********************  
  
Magus was in a dimly lit room. A few torches hung from pedestals around him and below. He heard wings flapping below. He leapt to the first platform a bit lower and saw a large blue gargoyle fly upwards to him. It flew in a predictable fashion, trying to go above him. Magus set his swords and let it kill itself, the corpse falling and dragged one of it's friends down with it. Magus dealt with the other two in one strike each. He went down a bit more until he was in front of a massive golden wolf head. The mouth was open, as if asking him to enter. Inside of it were two skeletons with spears disposed off in seconds although they were much larger than normal. In the next room was a familiar face... well, skull.  
Death: Ah, so Magus Leah himself came to this castle.  
Magus: Well, I have a friend here that I need to catch up to...  
Death: but first, you must get through me!  
Magus: And that shouldn't be hard at all.  
Death: Why would It be easy? I'm not that weak.  
Magus: No, it's not that...  
Death: what then, are you immune to my scythe, my shadow spells, are you immortal or just damn careless, I'M DEATH!  
Magus: Yeah, yeah, just one of so many...  
Death: I don't care! I'm the most powerful of the lot! I'm strong!  
Magus: Poor, poor Death... I tried to fool you into committing suicide and I managed to do just that...  
Death: What? I'm Death, I can't commit suicide and I won't.  
Magus: Actually, there's been a law concerning Eternal Entities such as Death and the others stating that developing a personality is now illegal and punishable by extermination. Mr. Boom here is here to carry out the sentence. Behind Magus was a large floating reddish figure that looked quite angry. It had a face on it's front and another on it's ass. It looked at Death quite happily, an evil grin all over it's face.  
Death: Um... Ah... Well... Hi.  
Mr. Boom: You've disobeyed the rule, now you go boom... ^_^  
Death: N... no... You're mistaken! I didn't develop a personality, I swear it! I DID NOT SAY I ... ... Oh Dammit!  
Mr. Boom: Yes, Dammit... ^_^ ^_^ A large grin on the being's face, Death blew to pieces, bones flying everywhere, bouncing off walls and floor alike, shreds of cape falling from the air, it's scythe clanking as it hit the floor.  
Magus: I'll keep the scythe as payment for delivering him to justice, Ok?  
Mr. Boom: Fine :D It faded and Death's remains turned to dust, except for it's scythe that Magus picked up and put in his cape, teleporting it in his stash of weapons. Magus noticed the huge golden door. He went over to it and found it to be nothing more than a huge amount of gold forged to resemble two doors. He crossed over to the next room where bats covered the ceiling and weeds had taken control of the floor. Magus noticed a small switch behind a stone and pressed it, making a wall move to reveal a hidden passage. Inside was a small hall leading to a small descending room. At the bottom was a crumbly wall. Magus slashed it and found a really, really old man there.  
Magus: Are you ok, sir?  
Geezer: Ah... someone... found... me... Magus sighed and healed him, allowing him to regain some strength.  
Old man: Thanks.  
Magus: How long have you been here?  
Old man: What year is it? Magus: Well... around 2245, why? Old man: Well, around 800 years... Magus: Ah... You're as old as me! How the hell are you still alive?  
Old man: Well, only being alive once in awhile helps... Magus: What? Old man: I only live while the castle is here and since it's never around for very long... my life has lasted quite many years... Magus: hmm...  
Old man: You see, I was once one of Count Vlad's men... Back them, the count was pretty generous, but still greedy, his worst fear was that of dying. At the time, the Dracul river was blocked by something under the castle. He knew he had caves under Castlevania and ordered some miners to search down there for the river's shortage. They fell upon an old mineshaft, buried under a pile of debris for countless years. He received news of the discovery shortly by a miner, but the rest that went to discover the cause of the clog in the river didn't return. After three days, Vlad sent a squad of guards down there and didn't receive a word after two days. Next were the advisors with an escort of guards. He'd warned them to return at the slightest sign of danger, but they didn't either... He finally decided to go down himself. He brought his 12 elite guards with him. I was one of them. Pretty fast, we found the golden wolf head, crossed it and ended up in the reaper's domain. The body was covered with headless bodies, a carpet of inanimate corpses. Vlad and his crew entered the room and saw a titanous entrance to a cave, but before he could go closer, he heard screams behind him. He turned to see his guard's legs being clawed by the dead's arms. They all screamed and slashed at the bodies, but it was already too late, an unhearable slash happened and the men lost their heads. The bodies fell to the floor and joined the carpet of corpses, the heads floated for a second and floated up, through the ceiling. An eerie laugh filled the air as a hooded floating figure appeared. It's black robe covered it's body, letting only it's hands show, hands made of bones carrying a dark scythe. It extended one bony figure at him, lifting it's head to expose it's macabre skull.  
Death: Ah, so good of you to finally come down here, Vlad Tepes. As you may have figured, I am Death.  
Vlad: D... Death... Have you come to take me to the other side?  
Death: Perhaps... But first, I feel like making you an offer...  
Vlad: An offer?  
Death: you see, guarding this gate for countless years have made me weary, your men were... diverting, so I wish to make you a deal... I've been guarding this damn cave for years 24/7, so I'd wish for you to help me build a gate here under my strict orders...  
Vlad: And what's in it for me?  
Death: Well, I can make you Immortal...  
Vlad: Immortal?  
Death: Swear your soul to the darkness and eternal life shall be granted to you.  
Vlad: Eternal life you say... Allright, I accept!  
Old man: and I heard that the river started to pour again that night, but until the sun rose, blood flowed in it's banks...  
Magus: Wait, if everyone that went in that room died, that means you're also...  
Old man: No! Actually... I chickened out at the wolf's head and saw everything from a distance, remaining hidden since then.  
Magus: Great... Just great... And what have you been eating this whole time?  
Old Man: Well... Rats... Bats... Spider... It would be easier if I remembered how to use these damn peanuts!!  
Magus: ... ... ... My fault for asking. Magus left the room, a bit depressed by all of this. He returned to the Plant/Bat room, cast a widespread inferno and watched them fry, descended the stairs of two more rooms and left the present mines, a bit more informed about Dracula's curse, but more intrigued than ever about the gate... I mean, what could be important enough to have Death as a guard 24/7 and then there's the large outbreak of high-level demons around here... a behemoth, that demon from the church, the Hellchoc, Behemoth King Catoblepas... something big was happening here and Magus intended to figure out what. 


	20. Chapter 19 Death's Return

CHAPTER 19: DEATH'S RETURN  
  
Alucard entered the caves and found them quite similar to the old ones, quite decrepit and very smelly. He walked slowly through the long corridors, hearing small pebbles falling off the ceiling slowly. Alucard was kind of expecting half the wall to fall on his head any time... but luckily for him, it didn't. The mines were an avoided area of the castle, so they didn't need hundreds of guards and legions of enemies. But still... he kind of wished he'd been at leas attacked once... the peace was getting on his nerves, in a castle filled with unnamable horrors, for a place such as the mines to be barren wasn't normal. Suddenly, a titanic scythe crashed mere centimeters from him. It was made entirely of bones, it's blade was made of an unknown material, but if it managed to dig it's way into solid rock practically up to the hilt, he didn't really want to examine it up close...  
Voice: Hmph! Another miss, oh well... Looks like I'll get a bit more training. A man came into view. He was very muscular, didn't wear a shirt, had torn pants and short black hair that practically were invisible in the torchlight. He picked up the heavy scythe with utmost ease and flung it onto his shoulder.  
Alucard: What are you?  
Man: You mean you don't know? Up ahead is the seal of the damned. On the other side is our master, Galamoth. Death promised to free him if we helped to protect the gate.  
Alucard: um... You do know that gate's been there for 800 years?  
Man: Hmph! Well, we'll just have to have a friendly conversation with Death after we're done killing you. He took a firm grip o his scythe and another blade came out the hilt opposite of the other one. The man grinned and began to change. He grew a pair of leathery wings, his skin turned an eerie brownish-purple, he grew two small horns and his size increased a bit. Alucard got his sword ready... The demon charged, his scythe's hilt hitting Alucard's sword hard, pushing him back. Before he could recover, the fiend's scythe was swung hard torwards Alucard's neck...  
  
***********************  
  
Magus entered the mine's upper levels He descended the crumbling staircases, watching his feet for holes and fissures. He almost fell down quite a few times, but after an uneventful descend, he was near the heart of the mines... after he descended another staircase. On his way down, a small sickle ebbed itself in the stony stairs, making the lot break apart and fall down two levels. Magus leaped off just in time, crashing into the wall and rolling down a level until he regained his balance and jumped off the last one to see his assailant. The being was small, carried a rather large scythe and was dressed in a green, slightly torn monk's uniform. It's scythe's hilt was made of elven wood and the blade was clear blue... slightly transparent. It raised it's head and revealed it's ugly mug. It's face was practically a skull but demonic in appearance. Sharp teeth, orange angry eyes, two small triangle shaped holes for it's nose and two small horns.  
Demon: Ah, so Magus Leah came all the way down here...  
Magus: By encountering more of your kind, I think I'm getting closer to the key of this mystery...  
Demon: Don't worry, you'll be dead soon... It swung it's scythe fast, Magus barely got his sword in the way as he leapt back to avoid the swing the tiny bugger had leapt up a floor in the staircase and threw three small sickles at him. Still using his sword, Magus batted them aside and got ready to go after it. The demon leapt down, spinning in a vertical fashion, using it's initial propulsion and descent speed to increase it's strength. Magus placed both his sword in front of him to parry, but the sheer force of the attack sent him reeling back, ebbing himself fully into a wall, destroying a part of the staircase's support, making it fall all over him. The midget fiend landed safely down, not a speck of dust on it.  
Demon: Heh... The mighty Magus Leah will fall to my scythe, what an honour you're giving me...  
Magus: Don't... cont on it! Magus threw his sword at it, but it batted it aside with one scythe swing. He took that window of opportunity to charge and slash at the demon. He heard it's head roll, it's body slumping to the floor. He also felt a sharp jerk of pain and realized it's scythe was ebbed in his side... He tore it out with great pain and spent awhile healing as best he could, but he only managed to close it so far... he dragged the scythe with him to the other room. In it was a huge golden door ebbed into the stone, as if it was natural, but he knew it from before... he stood before Death's gate. He stared at it now that it was complete and admired the craftsmanship that had been needed to create it... Every inch was decorated, but what really stood out were the 12 squares representing major conflicts in which demons had been present... Magus recognized four easily, but the other ones puzzled him a bit more... he heard a weak groan and saw Alucard come in through the other door, bruised battered and bloodied. Hundreds of cuts were all over him. After him came a large demon, also with multiple cuts all over him.  
Demon: Damn... Can't believe a simple mortal managed to wound me this much... Magus noticed the demon was totally off guard and sighed.  
Magus: With that attitude, no matter he hurt you so much... The demon looked around, trying to find the source of the voice and ended up staring at Magus, but from his point of view, he saw a shadow wielding a scythe, behind him was fire and gold. Only his eyes shone amongst the shadow...  
Demon: M... Magus Leah!  
Magus: It seems every demon here knows of me... How touching.  
Demon: B... But wasn't my brother guarding the Western door? He noticed the scythe Magus was holding.  
Demon: You killed him didn't you?  
Magus: Right on the mark, now your questions are, what chances do you have? The demon turned around and ran. Magus sighed and threw his brother's scythe straight in the demon's back, finishing him off. Magus Headed torwards Alucard when a icy voice ran out in the cave.  
Death: Very well done, worthy of your name, Magus Leah.  
Magus: Is it just me or does everybody know my name these days?  
Death: Of course, amongst the people, you're practically revered. Amongst the underworld, you're known as the terror. To a demon, you're the very incarnation of fear.  
Magus: And why are you here, playing puppy dog?  
Death: I've been assigned to the guarding of this gate for centuries now... I'm not going to let the first dangerous person to approach it get it, after all, I am Death!  
Magus: Don't you remember what happened to your predecessor?  
Death: But that law lasted less than 10 years, lack of personnel.  
Magus: so it's down to good old Ass whooping then?  
Death: Not quite... you see, this gate has a few powers in it to help... Death twirled it's scythe and Magus fell to his knees, a immense sense of drowsiness filling him fast... He collapsed on the floor.  
Death: Now let's see how well the Nightmare spell works... Two guinneypigs to make sure...  
  
***********************  
  
Alucard woke to a familiar scene, but not his favourite... He was in an old village that seemed practically deserted. As he walked amongst the houses, he saw the blaze of fire in the faint distance. He ran closer and noticed that everyone in the village was gathered here. Many of the townsfolks wielded axes, scythes, pitchforks or torches. In the center was a large stack of wood and hay in which a big pole had been planted. Against the pole was attached a woman...  
Alucard: !! Mother!!!  
Lisa: That voice! Alucard, it's you!  
Alucard: I'm coming mother! I'll save you!!  
Lisa: No Alucard! don't come here!  
Alucard: But mother!  
Lisa: It's all right! If my death can save others, I'd gladly surrender my life.  
Alucard: Mother! no!... please! No...  
Lisa: Yes Alucard! Watch me die and remember always my last words to you...  
Alucard: Yes mother...  
Lisa: Humans are weak minded... it's not their fault they wander in the darkness... Yet, whenever they enter the dark, they wish for the light... but many never see the light, many loose their souls to the dark. My son, become a beacon for these humans, guide them out of the dark and into the light...  
Alucard: Yes mother...  
Lisa: And never forget that you yourself is a part of the dark.  
Alucard: What?  
Lisa: You are the son of Dracula, your blood is tainted with the dark, you can never escape from that fact, no matter how many you save, so why not embrace the dark?  
Alucard: What are you saying? My mother never said such a thing!  
Lisa: You are half vampire, you live by making others die for your thirst. Your unholy existence depends upon the human's survival, but in the darkness, your survival is assured. Weak souls come to it like flies to a lantern. Join the dark and live forever...  
Alucard: Stop this meaningless disgrace of my mother's memory! Show yourself, demon! The pile of wood caught ablaze, lighting the sky in it's brilliant glow. The image of Alucard's mother burned in seconds and from the flames came a red girl. She was quite beautiful, her long black hair, her elegant wings, a cute face, quite a bust and practically no clothes on her. The only thing she had was a pair of undies. She placed a finger on her lips and looked at Alucard impishly.  
Demon girl: Well, it seems you're quite good at noticing illusions.  
Alucard: Spare me the lecture, demon. What are you trying to do?  
Demon girl: Let me answer that with another question: Why are you staring at my boobs and not my face?  
Alucard: G... um... ah... well... Alucard's face turned red and he stared away... before peeking at her bust again. His response makes the girl giggle.  
Demon girl: Well actually, I was trying to turn you to our side, but it's much more fun this way... The girl advanced to him, pressing her breasts against Alucard's neck, making his face redder.  
Demon girl: You know... I may be a demon, but I'm not devoid of feelings... and I have to admit you're quite cute... Wanna sleep with me? My name's Lyliara  
Alucard: Ah... um... The girl giggles again.  
Lyliara: Come on, it'll be fun! Please??? She presses herself closer, making her balls go even higher, up to the level of his mouth. His face was now as red as her. Seeing as her maneuver didn't work, she got back a bit and dashed back, kissing him sweetly. Alucard succumbed to her and slowly let her have her way...  
  
***********************  
  
Magus awoke in a dark and cold place. He got up, getting his face off the dirt, trying to remember where he was. He looked around, finding nothing but a desolate wasteland around him. He looked up and saw that the clouds were swirling around one single point, a large floating castle. In the center of the swirl was a hole in which Magus saw the Earth, meaning he was no longer on it. He levitated up to the castle in the sky, landing on a balcony that was the closest to the ground. He entered the dark castle. Inside was a torch filled hall leading deep inside. As he got further, the torches ended, forcing him to walk in the dark. After a dozen minutes, he saw a strange blue light ahead. He reached the end of the hall and found himself in a large room filled with the blue light. It came out of the sides of the room where gaps had been made to allow it in. Deep inside the gaps was a clear blue liquid that emitted deep roars once in awhile. Magus proceeded deeper in the room, entering another dark hall. At the end of the hall was another room, but with Brown light, then another hall and one with red light, then came Green. After all four rooms arranged like a square, he found a staircase leading up. At the top were another set of rooms this time shaped as Triangles with four different light colors: Purple, black, white and yellow, then another staircase leading to a rainbow hall. From the floor itself came light in all 8 colors, sometimes merging, sometimes making each other more visible or making each other disappear. A the end of that final hall was the grand staircase, leading up to a pillar of blue energy. As he stepped on the first stair, an arrow made of pure elemental energy burst from nothingness, hitting him full on, forcing him back down.  
Feminine voice: he who seeks to disperse the holy alignment of the sealed 8, thou shall not step one inch closer!  
Voice: Oh, how un-nice! Magus turned to stare at the source of the voice and saw a red demon girl standing beside him.  
Lyliara: That girl thinks she's allowed to do anything just because she's a goddess. Well, I'm counting on you to prove her the opposite, eh Magus Leah?  
Magus: What? Is a demon actually expecting me to help?  
Lyliara: Oh, don't be that way! She cuddles close, revealing her ample bust... Magus pushes her away. Before she could try again, he's jumped backwards, onto the stairs, making another bolt appear, but this one hit his shield, deflecting it. The demon girl giggled and disappeared. Magus kept climbing the stairs until he was at the pillar of light. In it was a cute girl with long blue hair she was in her underwear and seemed in a trance. Magus touched the light and saw it fade entirely, leaving only the girl behind.  
Girl: W... what happened?  
Magus: Who are you?  
Girl: Dad?  
Magus: What?  
Girl: Oh... my name's Luna. I'm the goddess of the moon.  
Magus: I've never heard of you...  
Luna: Well, I don't exist yet... I'll be created in a few years when an... incident will occur...  
Magus: So ka... (I see)  
Luna: But now, you should concentrate on the present matter, defeating Death.  
Magus: But how do I get out of this dream?  
Luna: Quite easy, you just have to kiss me. Magus did as the girl said and saw the world spin until he fainted...  
  
***********************  
  
Magus got his body off the cold stone floor and once again stared at Death's skull.  
Death: Well done! You escaped the nightmare, but now you must face me!  
Alucard: Not alone! Alucard also got up, all healed up...  
Death: So Lyliara is no more.. No matter, I didn't need her.  
Lyliara: Aren't you a bit hasty in making statements, my dear?  
Death: L... Lyliara! How can you be here while Alucard still stands?  
Lyliara: Well, I am a girl after all and not many girls can resist a charmer like him :)  
Death: So you're betraying me... Well, you can be certain a certain demon will never be freed! ... ? What the... The wall beside him was shaking and then blew to bits, letting in an angry saiyan.  
Vegeta: Finally out of that damn cave! You, the guy with the cloak, tell me how to get out of here or face the consequences!  
Death: You've all seen the gate, so none of you are leaving here alive! Death's scythe flashed, but Vegeta's hand was faster. He let out a beam that tore Death's skull off his shoulders.  
Vegeta: Now let's send this pile of bones to another dimension! A much larger beam was shot out of his arms, tearing Death's body to bits, slamming into the gate, not even scratching it.  
Vegeta: What the... ? He started to pound on it frantically. Magus went and picked up Death's skull on the floor.  
Magus: To be or not to be, that is the question.  
Death: Haha, real funny.  
Magus: It wasn't that bad of a joke... Now tell us why everyone's so interested in this door.  
Death: Well, when the door was sealed, apparently a demon lord was on the other side and now he's trapped there. All the demons under his command are mostly around this castle, trying to free him. Also, there's the goal to the gate, to seal something so ancient, so powerful that the beings that created this world had me build this gate.  
Magus: Okay... and how do you open it?  
Death: You need a key, but don't expect to get it easily, it was already stolen and brought to the prisons.  
Magus: Okay, you're free to go now. He put the skull down and left with Alucard.  
Magus: It seems by what I've heard that your nightmare was more of a paradise than anything else...  
Alucard: don't exaggerate things... His face was all red... Magus sighed. They left the mines, went across the caves through Alucard's path (Magus split the waters) and went back to the giant clock, heading up to the prisons. 


	21. Chapter 20 Olrox

CHAPTER 20: OLROX  
  
The past was amiss for the second time yet. They started out in a room with stairs and skeletons with boomerangs. A few well placed shurikens from out of view took care of that threat. In the next room was a giant flying sword like the one Magus had met in the church, but this one summoned a variety of different weapons in one wheel. The two hacked at the lot and destroyed the sword shortly after. They climbed another set of stairs to the door in the rightern upper corner. In the next room were three giant living armors of three different colors and weapons. One was deep blue and wielded a giant hammer, one was green with weird knives and the other was orange with two swords. Alucard took care of the Hammer and Magus went for the other two. Alucard avoided a crude but destructive swing and nailed his sword in it's head. Magus parried the Blade's attack and countered by sinking his other sword in it's chest. He heard it scream in pain, saw it fall to it's knees and it threw it's extra sword. Magus leapt over it and saw it kill the Gurkha. He recovered his sword from the carcass and they continued up a long vertical path with no stairs, one levitating and one as a bat. At the top of the long shaft, they found themselves in the prisons at last. The main floor was rigged with open spike pits and bloody zombies patrolled the halls. Once in awhile, a decrepit bag of bones and flesh walked to the gates of it's cell, rattled it's bowl for food and received a stab of the zombie's sword in it's fingers. The pair dealed with the weak zombies and jumped the pits to the next room. They were in the interior courtyard. The floor was badly damaged where they were, which is a balcony 10 stories above the ground. As they walked to the edge, the floor let out under Magus, making him fall. He managed to get a grip on the ledge just in time.  
Alucard: Magus!  
Magus: Don't worry, I'll catch up in a sec, just get rid of whatever's ahead! A medusa head tackled him, making him fall... Alucard did as he was told. He turned into a bat and flew to the next room, a short hall leading to a wooden door. On the other side was a splendid dining chamber. At the other end of the table, someone was sitting, sipping at a glass of wine...  
Man: Ah, company, it's so rare to see someone like me around these parts.  
Alucard: Who are you?  
Man: I am Olrox, master of these prisons.  
Alucard: So you're one of my father's men...  
Olrox: Ah, so you are indeed the son of Dracula.  
Alucard: Yes, I am.  
Olrox: We've received orders about you. I'm afraid I have to kill you.  
Alucard; a human can't kill a vampire so easily!  
Olrox: Oh, but who says I'm human? Olrox disappeared and reappeared behind Alucard, sending a blade of wind crashing in his back.  
Alucard: What the... The vampire raised his hand, making a dozen ghosts appear. The specters lunged at Alucard who suddenly disappeared. He reappeared behind Olrox and sent two blazing rocks crashing in the man's back.  
Olrox: Ah, impressive! It seems my normal techniques are useless against you... so I'll take this up a notch! The man convulsed in pain, his clothes tore as his body size grew to gigantic proportions. His body became bonier and his skin became green. His fingers grew claws and his voice became more strident. The giant lizard- like beast lunged it's hand at Alucard. He jumped back and swung his sword at it's hand, cutting it off. It reeled back in pain. He opened his mouth and sent out a volley of fireballs. By the time Alucard was done breaking all of them it's arm had grown back. It shot another volley of fireballs. Alucard used that opening to cut off it's head. Olrox fell to his knees, his skin falling off until the bones were all that's left. The huge skeleton got back up and started to lunge for Alucard until it blew to bits.  
Magus: Bad giant headless skeleton! Alucard stared at his friend standing in the doorstep. Bits of snake heads all over his clothes and a bone in his hair.  
Alucard: Um... why is there a bone in your hair?  
Magus: There is? Must be from the Valhalla Knight I landed on... He took it off and the two crossed the door to end up... in the past.  
Alucard: Um... why are we here?  
Magus: Beats me. They were in a decorated hall with pretty statues and a few axe armors. In the end of the room they climbed three sets of stairs to go to the next room. It had prison cells with dead people in them. After jumping a pit or three, killing a skeleton and two axe armors, they went back up. In the next room was a long hall lit only with candles. As they walked past each one, it shut itself off. In the end was a room with a few tapestries where only one candle lit the corned they were in. On the floor they could see quite a few skulls.  
Lyliara: Ah, so you're here. A candle lit itself in the opposite side of the room, revealing a familiar red skinned demon girl floating above the floor in a sitting position.  
Alucard: Lyliara? What are you doing here?  
Lyliara: I was bored, so I decided to come see some entertainment...  
Magus: Well, if you're the gate's guardian, you'll have some fun allright... She saw his swords flash as a threat. She placed a finger to her lips.  
Lyliara: No, that won't do at all. Alucard knocked Magus' sword away with his own. He then lunged at him, Magus sidestepped.  
Magus: What's going on here?  
Lyliara: Well, when you have sex with a bored demon girl, you can't expect it to all that clean... I accidentally let out a few spores of evil in him, making him act this way. I just came to watch how this would turn out...  
Magus: Damn you! She waved a no-no finger at him.  
Lyliara: That's no way to talk to a lady!  
Magus: Grr... He parried another blow. He was forced to endure Alucard's relentless assault for half an hour. At that time, his attacks became slower and cruder.  
Lyliara: Oh, has it already been that long? Looks like the effect's ending, good for you! Now have fun you two!! ^_^ Alucard stopped completely, he was back to his senses.  
Alucard: Um... why was I attacking you?  
Magus: Well, your "girlfriend" gave you some little disease when you were in bed...  
Alucard: Oh? Magus: No matter, let's just get going... (That's why I can't stand demons, they're such a pain in the ass...) 


	22. Chapter 21 Ryu

CHAPTER 21: RYU  
  
After the past came the future. The prisons were still damp and made of stone, but the usual steel bars were now replaced by lasers. In the first part of the prison was a normal skeleton. A slash destroyed it. In the next part they found blood red skeletons. Alucard slashed the first and saw it crumble to bits.  
Alucard: This has to be the easiest future ever! As he spoke, the skeleton's bits reassembled and it got a hold of him. Magus wrecked it again.  
Magus: Let's get out of here before it reforms... The next room had a strange skeleton wearing a cape. As it saw them come in, it leapt to the ceiling and drop kicked them. Magus placed his sword in front of him and watched it commit suicide.  
Magus: Yep, that's one accurate drop kick, look, all it's bones are cut perfectly in half... In the next room was a monkey-like skeleton carrying a large barrel. As the two got closer, it threw it at them. Magus broke it to bits.  
Magus: Why don't we just kill Donkey Kong's skeleton and keep going? In the next room was a skeleton wearing a gold medal, had running shoes and a weird hat. As it saw them, it ran in the opposite direction... until it hit a wall and broke to pieces.  
Magus: Okay... I thought I told you at the church to stop the "Enemies are stupid" jokes... Before they left the room, they heard sobs. Alucard found a little kid trapped in a cell, his clothes in shambles.  
Alucard: Trapping people, yes but this has gone too far!  
Magus: Um... I don't think you should do that... His sword came crashing with the cell's mechanism and the bars disappeared. The kid ran and hid behind Alucard's leg.  
Alucard: no need to worry, we'll protect you. Magus sighed and bowed to look at the kid.  
Magus: Boo. The kid hid again, scared.  
Alucard: What are you doing?  
Magus: Having fun while I can... They proceeded to the next chamber where a giant skeleton was. It had no hind legs whatsoever, so it was forced to a crawl and wielded a large bone club. Magus cut off it's head and they went to the final room. This room was much more elegant. In the back was a large table for dining purposes where one small silver light stood, A skeleton key.  
Alucard: Well, there's our goal.  
Magus: Go get it, I'll be busy here.  
Alucard: Busy with what? There's no boss here.  
Magus: Just go. As Alucard went, the kid followed... until a sword blocked his path.  
Magus: Okay, comedy act's over, Ryu.  
Alucard: What are you saying?  
Ryu: Well, I guess no simple transformation can fool you, father.  
Magus; At least change your eyes and hair next time and you might have a chance.  
Ryu: I might consider it... He glew white and returned to his normal form. He was a teenage boy of about 18, dark blue hair, deep blue eyes, light armor and a broadsword on his back.  
Magus: Getting desperate, aren't we? Taking Dracula as an employer...  
Ryu: Not quite... Anyway, since when are you the 'WANTED' man?  
Magus: What?  
Ryu: Didn't you know? There are about 1000 of those posters all over the castle.  
Magus: Blasted demons, can't even do their own dirty work.  
Lyliara: Quite unfair blaming it on us before you can even prove us guilty, It seems kawaii little Magus has a prejudice against us, doesn't he?  
Magus: And just why are YOU here?  
Lyliara: There's going to be a father-son battle and I wouldn't mind the entertainment ^_^  
Ryu: Lyliara, don't interfere!  
Lyliara: Oh don't worry, Whelpy! I don't plan on stopping your long awaited fun...  
Ryu: Now, how about we get started? Lyliara flew over to Alucard.  
Lyliara: And how about we find ourselves a nice quiet place to warm ourselves up :D  
Alucard: Um... warm ourselves up?  
Lyliara: You know what I mean ^_^  
Alucard: Oh... again?  
Lyliara: What? You didn't like the first time :( She was almost crying.  
Alucard; N... no, that's not it!!  
Lyliara: Then... you're engaged to another :(  
Alucard: No! It's just...  
Lyliara: It's just what? :(  
Alucard: It's just... remember the side-effect you gave me last time?  
Lyliara: That just shows how much I was enjoying it :D I was so caught up in it that I forgot to restrain my Cumming's little side effect :)  
Alucard: so I just have to not make you cum?  
Lyliara: Then what's the point? :( The fun only starts when the girl starts to loose a bit of control because of the pleasure she's experiencing ^_^ And also, doesn't it taste delicious? :)  
Magus: I didn't really want to hear that...  
Lyliara: You know... If you were just a little nicer to pretty little mi, I'd spend a LOT :) of attention on you, my cute little Magus ^_^  
Magus: Thank, but I'll pass...  
Lyliara: Oh, you're no fun! :(  
Magus: Big deal!  
Ryu: Ahem, weren't we about to duel to the death?  
Magus: Just wait a minute.  
Ryu: Can't you let the two of them to whatever they're about to do and concentrate on me?  
Magus But...  
Lyliara: Don't mind us. We'll find a comfy corner before we start to do it ^_^ Of course, don't expect to expect to get away from here before morning. :|  
Ryu: Enough! I don't care about this nonsense!  
Lyliara: Say Whelpy, you don't happen to have a bed in here?  
Ryu: Use mine in the next room, but just get the hell out of here!!!!  
Magus: Getting impatient, aren't we?  
Ryu: Cram it!! He took out his sword and charged... 


	23. Chapter 22 Dragon Morph

CHAPTER 22: DRAGON MORPH  
  
Magus barely got his sword out before Ryu's sword brutally collided with his, making a violent shockwave cross his arms from the impact. Magus didn't have enough time to recover and was forced to make another last minute block for his son's violent strike. The battle raged for over 10 minute, Magus slowly getting faster, blocking with more ease until he was finally ready to take to offense himself. He did a rapid overhead slash and Ryu parried as expected. While he blocked, Magus reached for his other sword and slashed low, forcing Ryu to drop his guard to block the lower blow while sidestepping the other blow. Magus' two swords started to make his life harder. A fury of hits charged him, forcing him to sidestep and block in every direction, stopping him from attacking. Magus kept the pressure on Ryu high, knowing he'd make a mistake sooner or later. And it happened much sooner than expected. Ryu slipped and fell on a strike, severely damaging his ribs that ate most of the blow. Ryu griped his bloody side in pain and looked grinning at his father.  
Ryu: Well done, but you know what's coming up next, don't you?  
Magus: Actually, I have no idea whatsoever...  
Ryu: You don't even remember... You've given me the powers of the draconic race, the ability to ascession, to transform into a draconic form for a certain ammount of time to beat up my foes majortime in very little time.  
Magus: I gave you that ability? I don't even know hot to do that myself!  
Ryu: Hmph! So you say... Now get ready! Ryu crossed his arm and was envelloped in dark energy that gradually became a dome of darkness. After a bit, a bolt of lightning struck it, tearing it apart as an inhuman scream echoed across the room, gradually becoming a dragon's roar. When the darkness had faded, a dragon stood where Ryu was before. The dragon in question was a small red whelp. It's small size made it look more like a cuddly toy than a danger right now. It inhaled and let out a mighty burst of flames. Magus reacted in time and placed his sword between them, the mystic blade slicing the fiery attack, making it miss it's target, but still consumed energy with every passing second he was forced to maintain it that way because of the pressure and the heat. Magus felt his feet getting warm and saw the floor under him turn red. He threw his other sword at Ryu, forcing him to use his tail to bat it aside, breaking his breath attack, letting Magus sidestep off the burning floor just before a pilliar of flames burst out of the floor where he'd stood a second ago. Magus dashed at it and sunk his sword deep within it's scales, inflicting a deep and painful wound on the baby dragon. The whelp looked angry at him and transformed again in the dome of darkness. It emerged as a golden dragon. It once again launched it's breath at him, forcing him to block with his sword again. The breath, being a lot more powerful now pushed Magus back torwards the wall until he stopped for a second to catch his breath. Magus took his opening and charged. Ryu caught the swing with his arms and hit Magus square in the stomach with his bulky tail. Magus shot a beam of energy at it as he got up. The beam hit Ryu, but bounced off it's scales, sending it back at Magus, ramming him into the wall. Magus got up fast and ran for the nearest of his two swords, recovering the one Ryu had thrown away, getting in guard stance in case Ryu was preparing for a breath attack, but he wasn't  
Magus mentally: Okay, he's not attacking, but why not? I can't use Magic against him it seems, so that only leaves physical attacks... but last time, he caught my sword anc countered straight after, so that's useless too... Wait! He probably did that breath as bait! And to think I fell in his trap! Baka! He's in a form relying on conterattacks, so all I have to do is... ... Magus scrambled for his other sword and put it back it it's sheet. He walked over to Ryu and stood inches away from him, not doing a thing. The room was silent... Well, as silent as it canbe with a couple making love next door while they forgot to close the door right while the girl's orgasming. The soung got on Ryu's nerves quite fast and his father's stillness was even more annoying. He finally swung his tail at Magus that simply leapt over and countered with a swipe from his sword. Ryu easily caught the blow, but as soon as he did, Magus took out his other sword and stabbed it up to the hilt in Ryu's stomach the forcing it out of Ryu's left side. The blow gravely wounded Ryu and practically seperated his body in two.  
  
Magus: Sorry, but attacking me left you unable to counter with you tail after you caught my sword. That's one time Lyliara will have helped out... Ryu was getting pissed at his father and transformed again, healing himself in the process again. The dome grew and let out a winged dragon the likes Magus had never seen. It was of the Demon Dragon class and of a very high level.  
Magus: Rudra, isn't it?  
Ryu: Very perceptive of you to notice the Legendary Dragon of Windia, the sleeping guardian of the city. The demonic dragon' large wings unfolded and made him battle ready. Ryu gathered power for a second and unleashed it into the open sky. In a matter of seconds, the sky darkened and filled itself with dark dots in the distance. As they got closer, they revealed thenselves to be meteors. The enormous onslaught rained down on the field, devastating the floor and everything it collided with. Magus used his enormous agility to avoid the onslaught until he tripped on an older one and was immediately caught by one the another, then another... and so on until the rain ended. Magus burst out of the pile of rocks covering him, now wounded and a bit tired.  
Magus: Okay, this is getting annoying! He extended his palm torwards his foe and small blue energy lines pulsed along his hand, gathering in his hand.  
  
"Grand energy that rules over all things, I beseech you.  
Let your power flow with mine and unleash our wrath!  
Counterblast!"  
  
A small beam burst out of his hand, tearing across the dragons body, dividing into a dozen smaller beams on the other side of it's body and retuning in the dragon's body at various points, practically turning him into a puppet.  
Magus: There! That blew off some steam. Since that meteor breath dealt me a very large ammount of damage, that attack should have seriously damaged you HP I believe... Ryu practically had smoke coming out of his head and the dark dome appeard again, tearing the energy cords to bits. The dome grew to very large proportions, revealing a huge dragon. It was around four stories high, larger than any he'd ever seen, shadow black and very looking.  
Magus: Tiamat class, very high leveled... Pire, the Dragon of Despair is it?  
Ryu: Well done! You seem to know a lot about legendary dragons it seems...  
Magus: When you're as famous as me, it's good to know things before they attack you...  
Ryu: But then you know this dragons has yet to be defeated...  
Magus: So the tales say, but do remember that Pyre guards the 7th celestial plane and how many people have ever been there?  
Ryu: Enough! Now prepare to meet Death!  
Magus: Too late.  
Ryu: What?  
Magus: I already met Death less than an hour ago... Twice!  
Ryu: oh... You went through the Mines first then...  
Magus: Yeah, why do you think I'm here?  
Ryu: I though you'd gotten lost looking for the Castle Keep... Anyway, why do you want Death's key? It just unlocks the big metal door.  
Magus: I'm just curious...  
Ryu: Well, can we please resume the fight?  
Magus: ... Sorry, I forgot we were fighting Pyre sent a basic energy breath at Magus and he got back on the usual guard, but was unable to block it this time and was forced to defend with his arms to shield himself a bit. The attack had fried off most of his clothes, leaving only shambles of their greatness... Magus reached for his sword on the floor and Ryu launched a small beam that blew up very powerfully, covering most of the room, leaving Magus' strength almost exausted.  
Magus: K... kuso... I... can't loose! Magus extended his hand to the heavens and a huge gun came out of the heavens and attached itself to his right arm. He took aim and fired an energy sphere straight at the massive dragon. It exhaled at it and made it's trajectory arc upwards, missing it's targert and exploding in mid-air, creating titanous winds, grounding Magus and pushign Ryu forward a bit.  
Magus: Kuso!! Even that didn't work... Nothing left but that now...  
  
"Powers of Darkon's soul, lend me your strength..."  
  
Ryu: Ha! Like I'll let you do a heavy casting again! He launched a beam of pure consedsed evil at Magus, but the energy around him absorbed the blast into himself.  
Ryu: What??  
  
"As I call upon thee, I wish but for one final strike. Allow me this power I so desperately seek So that with it, I may destroy those that stand against the path of destruction we form together"  
  
Ryu: What is he casting? I've never heard about this spell... Magus' body was now shadow black, fully envelloped in the intense evil energy he was summoning...  
  
"Lend me the power to crush this pitiful fool that stands before me! Darkness Wave!"  
  
The power around Magus condensed within his hand. He leapt over the titanous dragon, placing Alucard out of striking range. He extended his hand and let out a wave of absolute darkness torwards Pyre.  
Ryu: Ha! You fool, Pyre absorbs all darkness elemental attacks! The wave tore across Pyre with ease making Ryu let out an unearthly sceam of agony. The wave destroyed the walls out and annihilated the church before fading miles away, having destroyed everything in it's path. Before the first wave fully left the room, a second one came out and then more until 13 had passed, leaving nothing behind of the Mighty Pyre and Ryu had reverted to normal, now on the utter verge of death. Magus' immensely corrupted body crashed to the floor, the darkness clawing at the floor, practically breaking the stone floor. Alucard came out in his underwear with a fully dressed Lyliara behidn him (after all, she is only wearing a pair of undies...), the two having been startled to death by Ryu's sceam. Before them stood a shadow black Magus on the floor, Ryu in a pool of blood and a still falling pile of gravel that was once a way out...  
Alucard: W... what happened here? Lyliara came to check on Magus. When one of her fingers touched the dark veil covering him, she yelled in pain. Her finger was now the same color and pulsing rapidly.  
Lyliara: W... What in the abyss is this?  
Alucard: I... have no idea... I know! I'll heal Ryu a bit and have him tell us!  
Lyliara: Hurry please! Alucard came to cast a healing spell, but similar shadows burst around ryu, stopping Alucard from getting any closer. Lyliara shivered violently.  
Alucard: What's wrong?  
Lyliara: The aura od this place... ... I... ... ... I can,t take it much longer... ... It's overwhelming! I... feel gagged... It's entering my every muscle! I... ... I can't take it anymore!!!!! Alucard slapped her. She stared at him, tears in her eyes...  
Alucard: Lyliara, snap out of it!  
Lyliara: I... I'm sorry... It's just... the aura here in unike any I've ever felt... I've faced some of the most terryfying demos in the entire lower plains but they were dog pee compared to this! I don't know WHAT happened here, but it's unlike anything in this castle... Wait! There might be someone who can help us... Unfortunately... ...  
Alucard: Really? Where?  
Lyliara: Behind Death's gate...  
Alucard: Well then let's go!  
Lyliara: A... are you sure? Can't we just leave him here and go find ourselves a nice little lover's nest? PLEASE??  
Alucard : Sorry, but my friend needs me and i'm not about to leave him in a castle of evil like this and leave!  
Lyliara : I guess this was unavoidable... Well, let's go... Wait! I nned a sample first... She cast a small spell and a small dome of light cut off a piece of the dark substance. The bubble turned night black in a second.  
Lylira: I've isolated a piece of it, now we can go...  
Alucard: Wait... if you got a piece off so easily, why don't you just take the rest off?  
Lyliara : Do you realize how much power I'm spending containing this little chunk? Anyway, do you see a hole on him anywhere? No! It multiplied to fill it!  
Alucard: Kowai(Scary)!!  
Lyliara: Well, make us a way out.  
Alucard: How?  
Lyliara : Just chop off a piece of the floor or blast a way through it, jsut make some sort of opening! Alucard raised himself in the air and shot a beam of light across the floor, creating a slide down to the Laboratory. They grabbed the key and Alucard got dressed before headed down and into the Blood Marble Gallery again, crossed the caves and re-entered the mines. At the end, they found the still reforming Grim Reaper near his gate.  
Death: What... what happened up there?  
Lyliara: You can feel it too?  
Death : Are you kidding, it's exhiliratingly powerful!! I bet my comrades at the other end of the planet can feel it!  
Alucard: Do you have any Idea wht it can be?  
Death : None whtsoever...  
Lyliara : Well, I guess this is time to face my past... She inserted the small skeleton key in the lock and watched the huge door open... 


	24. Chapter 23 Magus' Father

CHAPTER 23: MAGUS' FATHER  
  
Magus' mind was filled with nothign but darkness, threatenign to engulf him... And suddenly one speck of light appeared in the darkness... A beautiful young girl, very slim, long sea blue hair and a pretty green dress.  
Magus: Janesil? The girl nodded and pointed to his side. He looked where she pointed and saw a swirl of light in the darkness that formed into an image... into a movie...  
  
***********************  
  
She saw a beautiful island, fully green but for a few magnifiscent crystal cities. The view descended torwards the largest structure on the island where a child's cries were heard. Once inside, they were on a person's bedside. An old-looking elf stood in bed holding a blue haired child.  
Man: My queen... how can you have a child, lord Zaor is long dead...  
Amlaruil: I...ve had a relation with someone... let us never spek of this again...  
Man: But my queen, he is your 8th child...  
Amlaruil: Tomorrow, I'll contacty Zeal and ask her to raise him for me... she's been searchign for a male heir to her kingdom... The image blurs and seappears with a 6 year old version of the child from earlier. With him was an older girl, also blue haired wearing a long fluffy pink robe.  
Schala: So, ready Janus?  
Janus : Yes sister! A servant walks in.  
Servant: Janus, the queen asks you to please meet her in the throne room.  
Janus: Not now! Begone! A burst of power emerged from his hand, ramming the poor man into the wall, breaking his back and skull, slaying him instantly.  
Janus: I... I killed him!!  
Schala: Janus, it wasn't your fault!  
Janus: But I ...  
Schala: Shush, no need to worry, just never do it again dear brother... The image blurs again, showing a tremendous array of light below the sea the image zooms in on a shore nearby showing an older woman with Schala and Janus.  
Zeal : You see my children, this is the underwater palace. Within this steel sanctuary lies a machine draining power from a powerful being and with that power, we the inhabitants of Zeal shall becmome immortal!  
Janus: It'll never work, you'll just awaken it probably...  
Schala: Now Janus, don't say such things or they'll come true... The image fades agian revealing a temendous spiked shell with a large eyeball at it's bottom center. Schala and three old men were in front of it. As for Zeal, she stood upon it without any fear.  
Belthasar: My queen, stop this madness before it is too late!  
Melchior: Your plan will never work!  
Gaspard: Stop this before the entire kingdom suffers for your personnal ambitions!  
Zeal: Nosense! Now dissapear and never show your faces to me again! The eye opened and tears in the timestream occured, taking each of the old men into different eras of the future one by one.  
Janus: Th... This can't be...  
Schala : Janus! Get away from here fast! The child stood near the bridge. Before he managed to rech it, another tear occured, thrwing him from the glacial age to the middle ages. Some imps fond him and lead him to their lair... The image reappears with Janus as an adult, in the center of his lair, chanting a spell before an evil statue. Suddenly, the door slams open, revealing a frog man with a very large sword.  
Frog: Magus, I've come to slayeth thee! He stopped chanting and grinned.  
Magus: Oh, and what will the frog do to stop me? The amphibian leap up and slashed down. Magus took a scythe out of his cape and parried. The fight went on for several minutes before a loud rumble is felt.  
Magus: Damn! You interrupted the summon! Time started to distort once again, forming a huge portal in which both were caught in... The screen then shows the queen once again upon the giant shell and Magus(Janus) in front of it.  
Zeal: So you've returned. How clever to use you knowledge of this era and the future to make me think you were a prophet... But now you die!  
Magus: Now you pay! He took out a magic glove and stroked the beast straight in the eye, making it sceam in agony and die. With it's death, it took down the woman it controlled.  
Magus: Zeal, a pitiful woman controlled by Lavos...  
Zeal: ... yes... I was pitiful... but you must know... You are not my son.. I only adopted you... you true family lies with house Moonflower of Evermeet... please seek your parent... my son... ... ... ... I'm ... sorry... ... The entire palace began to crumble.  
Schala: I knew this day would come... Please find yor real family... I'll use the last of my power to get you to safety... Magus: Schala! No! But before he finished, she faded from is sight...The vision fades and returns seeing Manus in a deep forest, travelling all by himself.  
Magus Mentally: It's been over 20 years that my search for Scala's lasted... Will I ever find her? In view comes a wall made of trees and an elf with a spear at it's base.  
Guard: Halt! Who are you?  
Magus: I am Magus Moonflower, searching for...  
Guard: A Moonflower? Please follow me. You, go warn the queen.  
Guard 2: Yes sir! The pair walked down the streets to an elegant palace built within a giant tree... but magus didn't even notice the palace, his eyes had settled on what was at it's base, an elegant young elven girl with delicate long black hair and olden eyes.  
Magus: I... um... ah... aga?  
Wren: Aga? The guard looks dumbfound. The scene fades and constantly flashes to multiple shots of the two elves together including one of their wedding under the eye of a great statue to the Dragon god Bahamut. Another shot later was of Wren, now quite fat from advanced pregnancy talking to Magus.  
Wren: Are you sure now is the time?  
Magus: Well, I might as well get this over with.  
Wren: I won't stop you... but be caeful and be back before I give birth...  
Magus: Don't worry, I'll be back... The screen showed Magus getting off of a boat at a dock on Evermeet.  
Guard: Look! It's him!  
Guard 2: Kill him! Kill Magus the enchanter!  
Magus: Crap! More guardsa ushed to the spot, throwing lances at him. One managed to pierce his wards and stab him in the lung, giving him a slow and painful death. The guards searched his pockets, expecting to find one or two wands of Lichdom on him... and ended up finding the Moonflower crest.  
Guard: Better bring this to the queen... You! Carry him and follow me! The guard brought it to the crystal palace of Evermeet.  
Guard: My queen, this invader was foudn trying to sneak on the island. ...and he had this around his neck.  
Amlaruil: Very well, leave em to interrogate him before he dies.  
Guards: Yes ma'am! The queen knelt and placed he man's head in her lap.  
Amlaruil: My poor Magus... Why... Why did you return?  
Magus: W...ren...  
Amlaruil: Wren?  
Magus : I'm so... sorry... Please take... care of Magus... for me... Wren... His body became limp, much to Amlaruil's surprise... mostly for what he'd just said...  
  
***********************  
  
Magus' body, still envelopped in the shadow black liquid got up and started to walk away, the shdows around Ryu fading and fusing with his. His walk seemed like that of a puppet as he fell down the shaft leading down... 


	25. Chapter 24 Magus' Past Censored Version

CHAPTER 24: MAGUS' PAST  
Censored version for general public. For those who do not mind sexual  
stuff,  
please read the original version present at the bottom of the chapter  
list  
  
Amlaruil had learned from her dying son's last words that he had a son, her grandson. But what intrigued her the most was the name he'd pronounced before, the name of his lover she immediately recognized as the name of her rival: Wren Ellesedil of Kastro. The war between the two nations had begun less than a month after the fall of Myth Drannor in the year of the fall. The two nations both wanted to be the ruler of all elves and had declared war upon each other, but yet now a moonflower and an Ellesedil have had a child together, a child worthy of truly being king of all elves, and she was going to raise him. She released one of her slaves she'd captured that had come from there in exchange for having him deliver a message to Wren and would release the man's wife when he'd return with the answer. A month later, the man returned with an answer to her plea of having the child sent to Evermeet for top rank education worthy of the future king of all elves. As soon as she got the envelope, she kept her word and released the man's wife, both left back for home immediately. Unfortunately, the answer was not the one she'd hoped, but the one she expected. "There is no way that I'd hand my son to you, after all, isn't the best education the one his mother gives him? Anyway, by saying that, you implied that our nation is a bunch of idiots compared to Evermeet and there is no way my son is going to get any feeling of superiority through his education! We hopefully will never speak of the matter again.  
  
Queen Wren Ellesedil of Kastro." Having expected the first remark, it didn't annoy her too much, but the second part was too much to bear! Queen Amlaruil went down to her dungeons and Went to talk to an assassin she'd had imprisoned for murder. She released him and promised him a large reward if he'd assassinate the young queen that was her rival. The man promptly agreed and listened to the queen's plan. The next day, she released all of her prisoners from Kastro under the pretext that her first grandson was born. The freed prisoners swarmed back to Kastro in small groups, not knowing that an assassin was within their ranks, being lead to the place his client had requested he'd commit his next gruesome deed... A week later, he showed up at the castle, exactly a day after the queen got news of the girl's demise from one of her spies from within the royal castle. She paid him a handsome sum for his excellent work and dismissed him from the island. She received word that young Magus was now an orphan and being the closest family member still alive, was asked if she wanted to take him in. Barely three days after, Magus arrived in his new home. Amlaruil was surprised at how old he seemed. Physically, he was one year old, but had the body of at least 6 years. He remained at the castle for two years and was sent to a top grade Magic school to learn what he could of the mystic arts. He came back in a year.  
  
Amlaruil: So, already got kicked out, what as shame. Magus handed her a note written by the magic school's director. She read it kind of intrigued at why the fat pig would actually bother to write something since it took so much efforts to even lift the pen. "Your grandson is absolutely a phenomenon! He's cleared all of the disciplines and memorized every spell that lurked in our libraries already, even I couldn't manage to learn them all and I've been here for almost 750 years! Unfortunately, as it is a tradition, all students are to shoot a spell at the school when they depart. Young Magus used a spell never seen within the island before. Having seen it, we've transferred the knowledge to one of our human cooperators, hoping to receive an answer on what it was, until the building is rebuilt, class are dismissed for all students."  
  
Amlaruil: An unknown spell to this island, where did you learn it?  
  
Magus: An innate spell, quite weak if you ask me... He remained at the castle for a week and was then sent to try his luck in the school of steel, to learn the art of fighting. He returned a year later with a similar note, except for no levelling this time... but now Magus had reached the age where all members of the royal family received their very own guardian. Everyone of House Moonflower received a bodyguard when they reached age 5. These bodyguards came from house Silverwing, very close friends of the royal family since longer than anyone can remember. House Silverwing was renown because of it's capacity of giving birth to the best of the best. Usually, the members of house Moonflower had bodyguards already having reached adulthood, but the only one free was a youth of 16 years of age by the name of Rhys. He had yet to complete Mage-Knight school and would be done in a year and a month. Magus was also going to enter that academy, but managed to cross all 4 beginning years in the first month and began the final year in normal speed. During his progressing, he'd still been able to make a few friends... Rhys, A mage named Eliria Nightpath, a warrior named Kathandryon Starshine and another warrior by the name of Evana Daybreak. During the summer break, which only lasted a week there, his grandmother the queen requested proof of his talent to make sure that he didn't just use his name to receive grades. She had him battle a squad of her guards using weapons she asked him to go get at the armory. When came the time for broadswords, he noticed a row of elegant swords held by ancient armors, there were 8 in all. He reached for two of them and saw a blinding flash of blue erupt from them, lighting the entire castle.  
  
Amlaruil: NO! I forgot to warn him about the Moonblades!! She ran as fast as she could to the room and found him in a corner, still a bit dazed by the intense light that had been in his eyes a minute ago...  
  
Amlaruil: Good, he didn't try to remove them from their scabbards... One of the guards looked frightened and looked at the swords, the queen's gaze also shifting to them. Two swords lifted themselves from the armors and floated to the child with the body of 14 years. He took them and strapped them on his back. He withdrew them, rapidly noticing the incredible lightness of the two seemingly heavy swords.  
  
Amlaruil: Two Moonblades, He took out TWO Moonblades and still stands to tell about it.... I swear, that kid does miracles! A week later, upon the first day of school, Rhys marvelled at the sight of his master's twin Moonblades.  
  
Rhys: WOW!! I can't believe you managed to get two swords! One is rare enough! How did you do it?  
  
Magus: Well, I just touched the hilt and it started to emit a strange light and then they floated to me...?? Magus stopped Rhys' walk and stared at the sky. Rhys followed his gaze and noticed a small swirling circle of black. Out of it fell a beautiful young blonde girl. They went to check on her and found she was just unconscious. Rhys lifted her hair and gasped in shock.  
  
Rhys: S...She's a human!!  
  
Magus: So?  
  
Rhys: Humans are to be put to death on sight if found upon the island!  
  
Magus: No, she'll be fine. I'll take care of her.  
  
Rhys: B..but Magus!...  
  
Magus: No buts. I'll take care of her, if you feel like what I'm doing is wrong, go denouncer me. I'll see it as if you did something in order to save my life.  
  
Rhys: You do realize that usually you should just order me to remain silent about the matter.  
  
Magus: If I were to force you into silence, I'd be cutting your freedom and that's something I really do not want to do.  
  
Rhys: So what do we do about her.  
  
Magus: For now, just help me get her to my room and return to your normal activities. You'll see me again in two days like if nothing happened. Rhys, still suspicious of his master's plan left him to do as he saw fit. Now alone with the fascinatingly beautiful girl, he began to examine her more closely to notice what made her so different from elves... She was pretty tall, almost as tall as he was, but elves were usually tall so it was pretty much normal. After a close examination, he discovered that only the ears and the aura didn't match. He cast a simple illusion to have both seem elven. It was no easy task, since the maintenance of the illusion now reduced his potential to that of a normal student, rendering unable to glide across the session like he usually did. About an hour later, the girl woke up.  
  
Girl: W...Where am I? This isn't my room.  
  
Magus: I believe you guessed right.  
  
Girl: Who are you?  
  
Magus: I am known as Magus Moonflower, member of the royal family of this island of Evermeet.  
  
Girl: Wow! Am I really on Evermeet? ... I mean ... I'm sorry to trespass upon your kingdom, your highness... My name is Cilliana Windia from the island of Japan.  
  
Magus: Japan, the island once inhabited by the Windians until the week of the fall where all three cities fell... the week the elves were forever divided... Um... Sorry about that...  
  
Cilliana: No problem your highness.  
  
Magus: Stop calling me that! I hate titles, it just denounces the unevenness between people of equal value. Although a few ARE worth to be in the lower class...  
  
Cilliana: Well then Janus, why am I still alive? Aren't elves supposed to hate humans?  
  
Magus: That's a typical High elven prejudice, but I believe that until you've proven yourself to be evil, you shouldn't be judged and labelled so. Anyway, how did you get on the island?  
  
Cilliana: Well, some men were trying to kidnap me when my earrings shattered and I was sucked into a portal and I woke up in this room.  
  
Magus: Strange... By the clothes you're wearing, I'd say you were sucked back in the past...  
  
Cilliana: The past?!?! How am I going to get home now?  
  
Magus: Until we find a way to get you back there, you'll have to blend in if you don't want to be killed. What's your specialty? Swordfighting, Magic or both?  
  
Cilliana: Well, my mother told me I have great magical potential...  
  
Magus: Right! You're going to be inscribed in 5th level magic classes, you'll be starting in 2 days, but tomorrow, I'll have to teach you a thing or two about being an Elf... Two days later, Magus returned to class and found Rhys waiting anxiously to hear what he'd been doing.  
  
Magus: Didn't the teacher ask anything about my disappearance?  
  
Rhys: Not at all, we haven't even had class yet... The door opened and their new teacher came in. Everyone here came from a long line of Mage- Knights and were all surprised to see that their teacher wasn't Elmdor Razorleaf, the school's oldest and best teacher.  
  
Teacher: Welcome class, we excuse ourselves for starting so late, but we had some preparations to take care of...  
  
Student: Sir, you must have the wrong class, this one's taught by Elmdor...  
  
Teacher: Was supposed to be taught by Elmdor you mean. The school board found a more competent teacher than that rambling old fool. They left him to teach Mage-Knights of a lesser level.  
  
Student 2: Sir, my brother was taught by Emldor, so was my father, grandfather, great grandfather and greater grandfather, we're not about to change today for some lesser ranked teacher. We have ties with house Evermeet, we even have one of them here and we swear we'll get Elmdor back here by tomorrow!  
  
Teacher: Ah yes. That would be young Treewind talking. I thank him deeply for reminding me that I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Janus Ellesedil and I will be one of your two teachers for this semester.  
  
Rhys: An Ellesedil?  
  
Magus: Sir Janus, I beg your pardon, but the Ellesedil clan is extincted. I am the last member of the house and I bear the name Moonflower more proudly than I do Ellesedil. And also, excuse me, but in mage-knight academy, the students are taught everything by one teacher...  
  
Janus: Ah, just what I'd expect off you Magus. About the Ellesedil part, I'm afraid I cannot explain it, for my sake and as for the teacher part, there has been a new rule mentioning that some problems are created by being too isolated from the opposite sex and so all classes are going to be twinned together. And to make it fair, some classes are going to be mixed with other disciplines. Your paired class is waiting for you in the garden. You are all to report there and learn to communicate with them. The other teacher and I will be observing you all and matching you with a partner we feel you'll get along well with.  
  
Student: Tell us, is this just a plan from our parents to have us form couples?  
  
Janus: Absolutely not. You shall be joined with class... 5G of the magic department.  
  
Student: Magic 5G? But they're a bunch of commoners! Janus materialized behind the student having raised that comment.  
  
Janus: My good student, as you can see as clearly as day, I am not a High elf and will not tolerate any class prejudices in my local or I'll make sure you flunk this class as many times as they are houses you consider lesser than yours in all of Evermeet!  
  
Student: U...understood sir! The class headed down to the garden and found their paired class there. As soon as they arrived, Eliria intercepted them.  
  
Eliria: Hey! I didn't really expect us to be paired with your class! I don't think the other students took it too well.  
  
Rhys: Far from it, eh Magus? ...? Magus? He followed Magus' gaze and found what had captivated his attention. A girl identical to the one he'd helped Magus with two days ago was coming their way but her aura was now elven strangely...  
  
Cilliana: Hi Janus! Did you know they were going to pair us up?  
  
Magus: HUNH?!? What do you mean by that?  
  
Cilliana: Well since your class arrived, I've been eyed by nothing but admiration by your fellow classmen, half the class even rushed to your teacher to ask to be put with me in a team... the other half was after our teacher, miss Cilliana... Magus just noticed the other teacher, a radiantly beautiful version of Cilliana, still blossoming in her youth, but still gave out an aura of incredible age. She bent to her side to kiss Janus softly on his lips and giggle softly. Immediately, the mob around her dispatched.  
  
Magus: You still haven't explained what this pairing us up story is!  
  
Cilliana: Oh, I forgot. When the mob around your teacher asked him to be paired with me, he answered gently that some pairs had been decided since the beginning and gave a short list... We were the first on that list, Rhys and Eliria were the second.  
  
Rhys: We're paired up?  
  
Eliria: Oh great, now I'm stuck in the same team as you.  
  
Rhys: Hey don't sound disappointed, I'm the best in my class!  
  
Eliria: Correction. MAGUS is the best in your class.  
  
Cilliana: Yes, Janus is the best! ^_^  
  
Rhys: What's with this Janus thing?  
  
Magus: I'm not quite sure, but she mentioned something about it being my real name and sorts, I don't notice it anymore...  
  
Rhys: REALLY... looks like someone's putting a little too much interest in their protégé, aren't they?  
  
Magus: It's not that at all!!... ... It just sounds so right... Magus went over to see Janus after he'd finished announcing the pairs and dismissing class for the rest of the day.  
  
Magus: Sir, I've heard I've been paired with Cilliana, why is that?  
  
Cilliana: Simple, you two work so well together, it's fascinating.  
  
Janus: Also, don't you two share a little secret about something that happened two days ago?  
  
Magus: How do you...  
  
Cilliana: Listen to yourself a bit. Try to hear yourself and all will be explained quite faster than you can believe. That night, Cilliana returned to her room and found Magus waiting in it.  
  
Cilliana: J...Janus! This is a young girl's room, don't you know that you're not supposed to be in here? Magus showed her her file and then his. Both rooms were the same number.  
  
Magus: You see, getting you entry in the academy was a breeze, getting you a file was hard, but getting you a room was impossible! Anyway, I like to make sure you don't go sleep with someone and accidentally blow our entire scheme to keep you alive apart. The girl surveyed the room and began to turn red.  
  
Cilliana: There's only one bed...  
  
Magus: This may be a royal chamber, but it was designed for only one occupant at a time, although the bed is wide enough to easily hold two, maybe three. The girl turned redder, but is soon became a mere blush, lighting her face prettily.  
  
Cilliana: So... have you ever seen an elven girl without her clothes.  
  
Magus: N...NO! Of course not!... Wait... in fact there was that time when Evana went into my Hotspring by accident and took off her towel thinking she was alone... She noticed me a second later and put it back on immediately, her face red...  
  
Cilliana: D... do you think there is a sexual incapacity between humans and elves?  
  
Magus: I doubt it why? !!!!! ..... The girl walked to him and came to embrace him but noticed he started to hold his head in pain. His hair went down a few more tints to sea blue. His face became slimmer and much more beautiful. He also grew breasts. The girl layed unconscious on the bed. Cilliana stared at her in wonder... all of a sudden, a guy had just turned into a girl. Cilliana shook her to wake her up, but didn't manage, so she put her under the sheets and went under herself to sleep. In the morning she awoke and got dressed for school. She heard a loud yawn and turned back to the bed, looking at the girl there.  
  
Cilliana: Oh... it wasn't a dream after all... She put her bag down and went over to the bed.  
  
Cilliana: Um... who are you and where's Janus?  
  
Janesil: I'm Janesil... but I don't know any Janus...  
  
Cilliana: Great... where are you from?  
  
Janesil: I... don't know...  
  
Cilliana: Just swell, we're both not from around here...  
  
Janesil: Um... what am I doing in male clothes?  
  
Cilliana: Oh crap, I forgot that issue! Janus bought me clothes... but I don't have enough for the two of us... for now put this on... Cilliana lent her her spare school uniform and brought the girl to school to talk to Janus.  
  
Cilliana: ... So that's what happened...  
  
Janus: Yes, that's Janesil allright...  
  
Cilliana: You mean you know her?  
  
Janus: Of course! She's bloody inside me!  
  
Cilliana: WHAT?  
  
Janus: Let me explain this simply. There are three souls within me, one is from an ancient being named Magus, one is my own and the other is her, Janesil.  
  
Cilliana: But... if she's inside of you, how can she be here?  
  
Janus: Well, I'm actually the Janus you know but from the future... but for now, you'll have to take care of her. I'll give you the day off to get things clear and learn to know each other. Tomorrow, I'll introduce her as a new student.  
  
Cilliana: But I don't have any money...  
  
Janus: Oh yeah, well, what's that purse on her side then?  
  
Cilliana: But that's Janus' money!  
  
Janus: And since Janus and her are the same person, it's her money!  
  
Cilliana: Oh yeah...  
  
***********************  
  
Autumn ends and the first cold breeze of winter shows it's ugly mug. We find Cilliana and Janesil in their room at early morning, both in bed. Janesil gets up, yawning loudly, still half asleep. She walks up to the shower, her nightgown half off. She slips it off and takes a warm shower to wash herself before a long day of school. After about an hour, she leaves, clad in her towel and returns to the main room where Cilliana was still in bed.  
  
Janesil: Cilli, is something wrong?  
  
Cilliana: So... C... Cold!!!  
  
Janesil: It's not that cold...  
  
Cilliana: It is!!!!  
  
Janesil: But what about school?  
  
Cilliana: Forget it! It'll be colder than here!!  
  
Janesil: Cilli, you do realize we're only in the beginning of December, it's going to get much colder soon...  
  
Cilliana: Please kill me then... So much colder than home...  
  
Janesil: Allright, I'll see what I can do... Janesil got dressed, grabbed a bit to eat and got dressed for school. Once she was there, she went to Janus' office.  
  
Janesil: Um... Janus-san...  
  
Janus: Let me guess, Cilliana has cold related problems?  
  
Janesil: How did you...  
  
Janus: Do you see Cilliana dangling around my neck as usual?  
  
Janesil: Now that you mention it... she's got the same problem?  
  
Janus: Yeah. Cilliana can't stand cold for the life of her... I was actually trying to figure out an answer to that peculiar problem... I'd forgotten it gets this cold around Evermeet. So far the only answer to that problem is body heat... but... where's she gone? Janesil went back to their room and found Cilliana still in bed, trying to warm herself up.  
  
Janesil: Want a bit to eat?  
  
Cilliana: Janesil? Weren't you gone to school?  
  
Janesil: Just got back. So, do you want something?  
  
Cilliana: No... I'm not hungry... just cold... Janesil went over to the bed.  
  
Janesil: Cilli, could you pass me your nightgown, I need to wash it...  
  
Cilliana: But if I take it off, won't I be colder?  
  
Janesil: I'll hand you a new one.  
  
Cilliana: Well, here then... The bed wiggled as the girl took off her nightgown.  
  
Janesil: While we're at it, could you pass your bra and panties too?  
  
Cilliana: Allright... She wiggled a bit more, taking off the rest of her clothes and handed them to her roommate.  
  
Cilliana: Could you pass me the new ones please?  
  
Janesil: Could you turn around for a second? She did as she was asked, a bit curious... Janesil took off her school clothes and her underwear until she was naked as well and got in the sheets.  
  
Cilliana: C... cold!! Why are you lifting the sheets... ? ... Kyah!! S... something just rubbed itself on my back!!  
  
Janesil: Don't worry, it's just me...  
  
Cilliana(turning red): W... what are you doing?  
  
Janesil: I just talked to Janus and he mentioned that his Cilliana has the same problem.  
  
Cilliana: So?  
  
Janesil: He also mentioned that he usually solves that problem with body heat and that's just what I'm trying...  
  
Cilliana: Um... Janesil... the reason that works is because of their emotions for each other. Because Cilliana cares deeply for him, with his proximity, her body lets out a higher amount of heat than it usually does, so does his for the same reasons... That's why it works...  
  
Janesil: So... what's the problem?  
  
Cilliana: Since we don't feel anything profound for each other, that's useless!  
  
Janesil: That's not true, I love you... Eh... Ah... Cilliana turned red as t a tomato, unable to speak...  
  
Cilliana(mentally): L...l...l...l...love me???? B...but she's a girl!! ...This is the first time someone tells me that they love me but my mother... ... It's true that her body is unusually warm against my back... How should I react... HOW??? She hides her breasts with her hands.  
  
Cilliana(mentally): I... I'm not cold anymore... I feel... so warm and comfortable... Oh... she moved her hands around my waist... Somehow, I'd have expected the news of hearing that a girl whom I sleep with every night loves me... now that I think about it... why am I sleeping in the same bed as another girl? I could just ask Janus for an extra bed, being a teacher, he could easily find one... My heart pounds... could it be that I like things the way they are... that I like having her so near me... especially now, being removed from every physical protection, completely at her mercy, open for any sort of attack upon my physique... my god, I sound like a slut. She turned to stare straight in Janesil's eyes.  
  
Cilliana: Y... you love me? Janesil stared away.  
  
Janesil: Y... yes... I planned on telling you later.. but it just came out when you said we felt nothing for one another, I just couldn't keep it in anymore, I just had to prove you wrong...  
  
Cilliana: Jan...  
  
Janesil: I'm sorry to have bothered you... I forgot you loved Janus and that I just interrupted your relation together. Janesil turned completely, facing the other wall. She rapidly felt Cilliana's hand playing in her hair.  
  
Cilliana: You know... I've never been able to take care of my hair the way you take care of yours... Still keeping a hold of the strand of hair, her hand started to slide down it's length until it's end that left her hand straight on Janesil's leftern breast...  
  
Cilliana: Your heart beats so fast... is it because I'm near? She felt Janesil nod.  
  
Cilliana: Could I help slow it's pace somehow? ... Wait, I heard that if rubbed just right, it should slow down... Cilliana's slender fingers gently applied a delicate pressure on the surface of the girl's soft breast, quickening it's beat to about twice it's old speed  
  
Cilliana: Oh, that doesn't seem to work right... maybe I did it wrong...  
  
Janesil: Cilli, just what are you doing?  
  
Cilliana: Silly girl, don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet... I love you too...  
  
Janesil: Y... ...y... ...y...you do?  
  
Cilliana: Yes I do...  
  
Janesil: B... but I thought you loved Ja... Cilliana put a finger to her lips.  
  
Cilliana: Unless that name was Janesil, I don't want to hear it. I've decided to devote myself to you... to put away all my emotions for men and only look at you...  
  
Janesil: Cilli... She turned and stared at the girl straight in the eyes.  
  
Cilliana: Jan... The two girl's lips got close to one another's but before they met, they heard knocking on the door. Janesil Got up, putting on the nearest night gown who happened to be her half-transparent one and went to open the door. On the other side was Cilliana.  
  
Janesil: Ci-San?  
  
Cilliana: I hope you girl are ready because we're leaving!  
  
Cilliana and Janesil: Nani???  
  
***********************  
  
We rejoin them on the 23 of December, both in a hotspring with their teacher Cilliana.  
  
Cilliana: Well, I guess our lesson's over for today... Oh... I forgot to warn you. Tonight, I'm going back to the academy for a few days... to go celebrate Christmas with Janus, so you two will be alone for a bit... Oh and I won't forget to bring your presents for your friends. Well, have fun now ^_^ Both girls blushed as Cilliana left the hotspring to prepare.  
  
Cilliana: Well, it was a great idea of Janus' to send us all here...  
  
Janesil: Yeah. I haven't heard you complain once about the cold. The pair were in a hotspring resort within a mountain range north of the city. The inn was rather expensive, but the fact that it was surrounded by mountains on every side kept the cold air out and the hotspring's warmth inside, so even if there was snow outside, here it was still around 30 degrees everyday. Cilliana had accompanied them as a private teacher and to stay warm as well. As for Christmas, the holiday had been introduced that year by Janus to the elven comitee as a new holiday. Of course the entire birth of Jesus part was totally forgotten and replaced by prayers to the elven gods to thank them for a wonderful year. Also, at that time, it was customary to give gifts to people we're close to... Our friends, our family, our beloved... Both girls had already found something for the other.  
  
Janesil: You know, we've come a long way since we first met... At first we could barely get along together, mostly because you hated me for breaking you up with Janus, but overtime, you got used to it, it seems...  
  
Cilliana: My feelings for Janus faded and without me even noticing, my feelings for you grew...  
  
Janesil: Well, how about a ping-pong game before going to bed?  
  
Cilliana: Yay! The next day was pretty long, mostly because they didn't have class which usually took up their whole day, but they had classes which weren't on the normal program pretty often... but upon the 12th hit of midnight, Christmas began and they headed for the pile of presents in the corner. In all, there were 7... First they started with the presents from Janus. Cilliana got a page on which was written a spell and an note "If ever you feel the need to return home..." and Janesil got a heavy leatherbound book.  
  
Cilliana: what is it about?  
  
Janesil: I have no idea, it has not title... She opened it and read the first page "Janesil, knowing of your current condition, I've compiled here all of the information I've been able to gather about your past and even managed to get a bit straight out of your future self, enjoy :)"  
  
Cilliana: How sweet. Next were the presents from Cilliana. Both got clothes, splendid nightgowns, richly embroided and extremely comfortable underwear, breathtaking gowns and casual clothes... after that came their own gifts, leaving the one from Janus and Cilliana for last. From Cilliana came a delicate and beautiful pair of panties.  
  
Cilliana: I made them myself, I've managed to make then small and comfortable, not to mention that there are quite a few spells in it... :) I would've given you a bra too, but I know that you don't wear those too often...  
  
Janesil: Thanks Cilli... Cilliana picked up her present and opened it. Inside the large box was a much smaller one... and on it was a small note. Cilliana read it and tore it off, opened the box and threw herself in Janesil's arms, crying.  
  
Cilliana: I... I can't believe this... Really?  
  
Janesil: Yes, my dear. The girl kept crying for a minute then wiped off her tears and kissed the girl. Janesil was startled for a second, but rapidly joined in, returning her kiss with a similar passion and delicacy. Their first kiss was one they'd never forget... after a minute, they broke it and Cilliana giggled and went back to their room with the package. She sat on the bed, naked and soaked, staring at it's content, Janesil's engagement ring. It was golden with a beautiful heart made of ruby held by an angel that was hugging it... She tried it on and felt it adapt to the size of her finger until it fit her perfectly. Janesil came in and found her there, waiting, staring at her gift and then at her.  
(Censorship) The next morning, both girl woke up at the same time, stared at each other and giggled. They went back to the hotspring to wash themselves from their action earlier on in the day and noticed the last gift. In it was a small piece of paper on which it was written "Don't worry, marriage between lesbians is allowed in elven communities... not necessarily well seen, but allowed." The two stared at each other and kissed...  
  
***********************  
  
At the end of Aril, the three girls left back for the academy. There, their relationship continued to flourish and a date was set for the wedding... the day after they'd obtain their diploma... once again, they melted in with Janus' friends. Cilliana got along very well with Eliria, Rhys and Evana and Janesil had managed to catch Kathandryon's eye and got along swell with the other girls. It currently is the eve of the diploma ceremony.  
  
Rhys: Well, those two seem to be getting cheerier by the day...  
  
Eliria: Of course, why wouldn't they?  
  
Rhys: Should they?  
  
Evana: Have you been reading your mail for the past month?  
  
Rhys: We have mail?  
  
Eliria: Local 273.  
  
Rhys: I'm on my way! He ran off torwards the school building.  
  
Eliria: He's got a lot of catching up to do... I think he might also have a Christmas present or two over there...  
  
Kathandryon: So, are you two still sure, I mean, what would your parents think?  
  
Janesil: Well, according to the book Janus gave me, no one knows where I come from...  
  
Cilliana: And I don't intend to go back home ever.  
  
Rhys: Are you sure? Can you keep this up forever?  
  
Kathandyon: Keep what up?  
  
Rhys: Ah...  
  
Eliria: BAKA!  
  
Kathandryon: Well?  
  
Cilliana: That I was once human... Janus found me unconscious here one day and camouflaged me here as an elf...  
  
Kathandryon: That's preposterous! Janus would never do that!  
  
Rhys: He did.  
  
Kathandryon: I... I... He ran off as well.  
  
Evana: It'll take him some time to get used to the matter though...  
  
Girl: Hello! They turned to a smaller version of Cilliana  
  
Girl: Hi! I'm Ci Moonflower. I'm joining the academy next year and I'd like to know if you've seen my Nii-san here recently?  
  
Rhys: Sorry, but we haven't.  
  
Ci: Okay, Bye! Ci, AKA Cilliana was Janus' cousin, the child of one of his aunts that had unfortunately died, leaving the child orphaned. The difference between them was that her mother had died fighting invaders at the same time as Eliria's parents when 5 humans managed to get to the island and murdered a dozen people. She was older than him, but his body seemed older, so the girl always treated him as her older brother. She'd been admitted early to let her study magic more profoundly than most other girls. It's true her parents were great magicians, but the girl had an innate talent that allowed her to surpass her teachers with ease. The next day was the graduation, where students that passed their 5th year of a said discipline received a diploma mentioning they'd mastered their discipline and were eligible to work with jobs that required it. Each student was called out and was given a diploma. Janesil got hers, but when it came down to Cilliana, everything changed.  
  
Director: Bravo for your achievement, now I present you with ...  
  
Kathandron: Stop!!  
  
Director: Yes, Kathandryon Starshine, what's the problem?  
  
Kathandryon: That girl to whom you wish to give an object of elven prestige is a human! An outbreak of disbelief and anger rose in the crown, after all, almost every man in that crown was in love with the girl... the director nodded to one of the two persons beside him and the man stepped forward, casting a scan spell.  
  
Man: This girl has a great amount of elven blood in her, but I detect a weak amount of human blood, making her a half-elf! The crown exploded in disbelief at the statement. The director nodded to the second man behind him and he withdrew a sword and came to strike down the girl, but a beam of energy burst out the audience and hit the man in the chest, making him fly a few meters away, unconscious. Janesil leapt on the stage and grabbed Cilliana by the hand, intending to flee, but before she could get off the stage, she was seized and pinned to the ground.  
  
Janesil: Cilliana, run!  
  
Janus: I'm profoundly sorry, but there is no other way... Janus cast the spell to send Cilliana back to her age and watched her sink into the timestream.  
  
Janesil: Ci... Cilliana... CILLIANA!!!!!!! ... ...No... Tears ran down her cheek for a second and then a flash of light occurred.  
  
Janus: Get off of me now!! The men heard the deep voice and immediately got off.  
  
Magus: What were you morons thinking, pinning down a member of house Moonflower! I should have you all fired for that!  
  
Men: S...sorry sir Magus! After that, the image in the screen faded to darkness and Magus' own memories appeared. He was leaving Evermeet, having somehow gained control... He wandered the world for no reason... maybe somehow Janesil had implanted in him the mission to find her lover again? 


	26. Chapter 25 Galamoth

CHAPTER 25: GALAMOTH  
  
On the other side of the gate stood the past, in a deep cave. The pair jumped down from the ledge the door was on and advanced to the side of a sea of bones. The floor was covered in jagged remains of ancient warriors. Skulls lingered about, spears, swords and axes hid amongst the various bits of these ancient invaders.  
Alucard: Well, this is probably where Death piled all those who managed to reach his gate...  
Lyliara: Well, do we care? Let's go up. She flew up to a small platform witrh the stairs leading up. Alucard turned into a bat and the small lift crossing the sea of bones arrived and left just as fast. In the chamber above were open tombs on the walls where more deceased men layed in eternal slumber... except for a few... A bunch of mummies and zombies came out of their tombs. Alucard used his Marsil and scorched them all to hell. At the other end of the room was a staircase leading down. They were back to the sea of bones, not seeing either end of it. They took the lift when it got close enough and used it to cross some distance over the dangerous pile of corpses. After a bit, they jumped on the next one that lead them to a low ceiling covered in spikes. Their transfer arrived while under those spikes, Lyliara glided there and Alucard transformed again to cross. That lift brought them out of the sea and to a staircase leading down. In the room was the door out and Frankenstein's monster. It roared loud and detached a stalagmite, making it fall and tear out it's brain.  
Alucard: Okay... our author doesn't hold Frankenstein in great respect, does he?  
Lyliara: Well, it is just a bunch of limbs tied together with a semi- functional brain, so what can you expect? They crossed the door to the present. The temperature turn to freezing in a matter of seconds.  
Alucard: I...t's so COLD!  
Lyliara: You think? This place is pretty warm compared to some I've been. In the room they were in, they found a few witches on brooms, but they retreated when they saw the two... In the next room, they were at a four way crossroad. In the center of it was Magus, still envelopped in the deep darkness from before.  
Lyliara: How did he get all the way down here before us?  
Alucard: More importantly, how can he stand up?  
Lyliara: Well, we'd better take him with us... Alucard, take he lower right road, I'll take the lower left with Magus...  
Alucard: Right... um... what exactly am i searchign for?  
Lyliara: A giant demon.  
Alucard: Well, that should be pretty easy to find...  
  
***********************  
  
Alucard waved farewell as he engaged himself on the path Lyliara had told him to follow. He followed a dark corridor to a large well lit room. Within were dozens of slimes, one of the witches from earlier and a floating lady who'se skin  
  
seemed too pale and... blueish to be normal. A small orb of ice rotated around her, chilling the air to sub-zero temperatures. Alucard, jumping his way up to their level and listened carefully.  
Salome(Witch girl): How is his lordship these days?  
Frozen-Half: As grouchy as usual whyle scheming.  
Salome: Who'se he want to overthrow THIS time?  
Frozen-Half: Apparently the demon king, but his plan's WAY too complex! I've calculated his scheme will take 10000 years!  
Salome: That's a hell of a long time! My children's children won't see the end of it! Frozen-Half: I'LL probably be dead by then!  
Salome: Now THAT says a lot. Anyway... How is it like?  
Frozen-Half: You mean getting killed, sucked dry of blood and getting it all replaced by Ice before being revived?  
Salome: Must've been painful...  
Frozen-Half: My dear sister, if you only knew the half of it...  
Alucard: No, this is not my father's style, but who are they working for then? He silently crept by the sisters as a bat. He noticed both of them, staring directly at him. The youngest returned to talking to her sister whyle the eldest kept a icy gaze leveled at him until he'd left her line of sight into a pitch black room where he reverted because the air around him felt so wrong... As his feet hit the ground, he searched his equipment for something. Not finding it, he cursed not having inherited Night vision from his father.  
Alucard: Flames of light who burn so bright, into my hands gather your light. A small sphere of light appeared in his hands, projecting light around him. He immediately cursed having been asigned this path. The floor, the ceiling and all the walls ahead were covered in spikes. close to him, he could see a trail of dried blood leading into the shadows. As he raised the sphere, he saw a wall raising from the floor where a skeleton was impaled in the wall's spikes. Alucard, gathering his vampyrical powers within him, felt his body melt and dissolve. He hated having to do this, but he had to. He kept the power flowing into him until he felt he was total mist. He slowly proceeded torwards the hole above the wall. Beyond was but shadows. In his initial visit, he'd avoided the dark catacombs and had chosed to stay warm. As he proceeded forward, he felt blocked with a sharp piercing sensation crossing him. Although he coudn't be hurt, he still felt magical damage. SOMEONE had known of his powers and planned ahead. Now, he backstepped, keeping himself leveled to the floor until he fit in an opening so close to the entrance, he'd never expected it. He slipped down and followed the path across the room as best he could. Several minutes later, he was above a glowing tile. Reverting, he landed straight on it. The light immediately faded, leading to a blinding flash as thew room was lit forever... or until someone closed the tile. The next room was straight and guarded by two salome's. The demon took care of one, but Alucard had to handle the other. His sword had no way of penetrating her heavy wards. Avoiding her cat's path, he took the Runeblade from his side and launched it at her. It hit the wall, crossing it, but not harming her, as if she'd been nothing but a ghost, nut as it returned, it clearly crossed her, the hilt bursting from her stomach, taking along a large part of her guts. After wiping off most of the blood off it and unraveling her guts from the magnifiscent hilt and placing it back at his side for futur use. Descending in a hole in the floor, he found himself in a long corridor leading to a small crypt where an altar stood. Upon it's bloodied surface, a small object rested. A lifesise skull carved of a diamond stood there, a ruby in each of it's cavities. Alucard calmly pocketed the stone. For it to be this well guarded, it HAD to have a use.  
Demon: Hmm, I'm not sure of it's safety at all.  
Alucard: Neither am I, but if it DOES have a use, we won't have to come back here. He started to run back the way he'd came, a bit worried about Magus and Lyliara, since if he wasn't there, how were the two going to handle the huge demon...  
  
***********************  
  
Lyliara lead Magus down the path, into a room filled with tombs and then to a river of blue liquid emanating the cold atmosphere. Small snowflakes rained from the ceiling. In the center was a bridge made of stone. Lyliara went over to the river and stared at if for a minute.  
Lyliara: Pure Ice Magic, better make sure my little Magus doesn't fall in... The two started to cross the bridge, Magus calmly following. In the center was a blue girl with an ice orb floating and circling around her.  
Frozen-Half: No one may pass here, for it leads to my master's chambers.  
Lyliara: Let me pass, I must consult with Galamoth.  
Frozen-Half: None may pass!  
Lyliara : Well, then you die... Her hand radiated for a second and then stopped, feeling an immense surge of evil from Magus. She leapt aside, using her wings to stop her from going down to the Ice's level. A spear of utter darkness had burst out of Magus' body and impaled the girl. In seconds a dark flash occured and nothign was left of her. Lyliara: I REALLY have to watch my back with whatever Magus is infected with... On the other side of the pool was another room with tombs and a way up. At the top, they ventured into the next room. In it was an immense demon, practically two and a half stories high wearing strange egyptian-like armor, but the metal it was made of was unknown to Earth, originating from the lower plains. It's yellowish skin made it look a bit sick, but yet... that much more fearful. It had a mace and a shield for weapons. The demon rose to it's full height and spoke in a titanous voice.  
Demon: gan zot rein wankun. (Okay, since it's two demons talking, they're using their native tongue, demonic, so I'll just translate now to save me the trouble of writing more of it...)  
Demon: Finally, someone from outside...  
Lyliara: Master Galamoth...  
Galamoth: Another follower who wishes the death of the Nether King... ... Why is THAT with you?  
Lyliara: Why is what with me?  
Galamoth: That trash that is our foe behind you.  
Lyliara: Magus is no threat to...  
Galamoth: Enough!! Dispose of him and then we'll continue talking.  
Lyliara: NO!  
Galamoth: You dare disobey me?? Do you know the penalty given to those who do so? Death!  
Lyliara: Do you honestly think you're scaring me? You're so full of it...  
Galamoth : How dare you! You'll pay dearly these insults! He swung his mace down hard and fast, but the girl was long gone from the spot.  
Lyliara: As slow as ever, I see...  
Galamoth: Oh... so it's YOU...  
Lyliara: Who did you think it was? Some lowly Succubus?  
Galamoth: Anyway, why are you here?  
Lyliara: This man is infected with an unknown virus, I'd wish for you to tell me what it is... Lyliara tossed him the sphere containing the sample she'd gotten earlier.  
Galamoth: I've never seen such a thing in my entire life...  
Lyliara: Say now, YOU don't know what this is? And you dare proclaim your rank?  
Galamoth: I may be who I am, but that doesn,t mean I know everything... WHAT THE?? The evil surge was felt again. Galamoth started to shiver across his entire body. Lyliara, floating at the levl of Galamoth's face, stared again at Magus, noticing the goo on him acting up...  
Lyliara: What's happening?  
Galamoth: What's this aura? It's overwhelming!! The goo detached itself and crawled along the floor torwards Galamoth. The huge demon made a step back fro every meter the goo progressed until he was cornered. It lunged fro him absorbign him fully into itself while the demon let out an inhuman scream of agony. Magus fell to the floor, unconscious, all life signs perfectly fine. At that tim, Alucard showed up.  
Alucard: Don't worry, I'm here to help!! ... ... Um... where's the demon?  
Lyliara: Too late, he's already dead.  
Alucard: And Magus?  
Lyliara: We'll wait and leave once he's up... 


	27. Chapter 26 Behind Death's Gate

CHAPTER 26: BEHIND DEATH'S GATE  
  
Magus regained consciousness around an hour after Galamoth's demise.  
Magus: Wh... where am I?  
Alucard: In the present, behind Death's gate.  
Magus: How did I get here?  
Lyliara: I don't know, you walked?  
Magus: Oh, she's still here.  
Lyliara: If it wasn't for Alucard, I would've left you to rot back there. :(  
Alucard: Anyway, what happened to you back there?  
Magus: What do you mean? I remember using a spell to vanquish and pass out because of my weakness after such a hefty casting in a weakened state.  
Lyliara: And which shadow spell did you use to defeat Pyre?  
Magus: How do you...  
Lyliara: It's not because I'm enjoying myself that I'm not listening... :)  
Magus: You're awfuly serious all of a sudden.  
Lyliara: With the energy you were letting out, anyone would be serious.  
Magus: To answer your question, I used the Destruction Wave spell.  
Lyliara: Destruction Wave? I've never heard of it in my entire life.  
Magus: It's a part of a two spell set along with Destruction Crush.  
Lyliara: And how did you get these spells?  
Magus: Well, let's just say these spells were "Given" to me after a dangerous battle that happened a very long time ago...  
Lyliara: Sure... and just how could these spells be the cause of your past state?  
Magus: Past state? What past state?  
Alucard: You were covered in a shadow black goo emiting an unbearably evil aura to all demons.  
Lyliara: You even managed to kill a few while in that state.  
Magus: I... don't quite understand...  
Lyliara: Wait, I still have the sample! She extends her hand and the black globe appears in it. She closes her eyes and the globe became transparent, revealing it's content.  
Magus: D... damn! That's one hell of an aura allright!  
Alucard: You mean you can feel it too?  
Magus: How could I not? It's fuckign powerful!  
Alucard: Damn! Why am I the only one who can't feel it?  
Magus: Y... you said I was covered in it?  
Lyliara: Yes.  
Magus: D... damn... That means I musn't use those anymore... or else...  
Lyliara: What?  
Alucard: This is getting long, I'm going ahead, catch up when you're done.  
Magus: Fine. Alucard crossed the gate to the future.  
Magus: Lyliara, Have you ever heard of the Elemental war?  
Lyliara: You mean when the Dark elemental Darkon waged war against the other 36? It's common knowledge since Darkon was a demon before an elemental...  
Magus: Well, as you should know, a weapon called the Ragna blade containing half of the power of every elemental was used to slay Darkon and end the war.  
Lyliara: Yes, what are you getting at?  
Magus: I designed that sword and slayed Darkon. When I completed that deed, I suddenly had those two spells in my mind.  
Lyliara : So those two spells draw on his power, but isn't he dead?  
Magus: Only partially, his physical form turned into an endlessly multiplying goo, you showed me a piece earlier. Darkon's body can't solidify, so he's unable to work on his own... that seems to be the nature of those two spells, allowing him to act with another's body.  
Lyliara: There's something else I should warn you about... in that trance state of yours, you killed Demon lord Galamoth, the one that ruled all those demons at this castle, so watch out, they'll be after you now more than ever and Galamoth isn't one to let Death stop him from taking his revenge, trust me, I know... I'm the one who trapped him here. :|  
Magus: Why?  
Lyliara: Call it the duty of a daughter torwards her father... :(  
Magus: Oh...  
Lyliara: Well, I'd better leave now... See you later Kawaii Magus :) Magus watched her leave.  
Magus: You know... She isn't that bad of a demon after all... He crossed the gate to the future and ended up in a blazin hot cavern.  
Magus: Volcanic area... This should be fun... He advanced in the room whose walls had been dug at various areas to be filled with the remains of past people. In the next room was Alucard, fighting off the last of a group of Mecha-Zombies. These were similar to those down in the caves. Their design was made to be used in close range, which explained the line of spikes on their back and their claws. Magus charged and decapitaed it.  
Alucard: Finally, it's hard to fight a dozen of those by myself you know...  
Magus: Yeah,. But Lyliara had some interesting things to tell me... But anyway, what are Neo Zombies 5173 doing here?  
Alucard: You mean you know these atrocities?  
Magus: Kind of... I heard of these so-called supreme Zombies and went to the factory. I destroyed their guards and burned the factory to the ground. In it were type 5171 basic moe and 5172 assault model. Those we just saw were still only on plan... the two even more advanced ones, 5174 and 5175 died with their creators before they were even put on plan.  
Alucard: And how exactly did those creators die?  
Magus: Can you say barricade every door and window BEFORE setting the factory on fire while they're in it?  
Alucard: Wasn't that a bit cruel?  
Magus: And you think creating zombies made for murder is better? The pair kept moving forward and reached the center of the catacombs, a sea of flames much like the one they'd seen in the present. The lava-like liquid bubbled and blew, making small pieces of the wall deach thenselves and melt in it.  
Magus: Hoy! Fire magic in it's purest state! We're lucky to witness this! Only one or two persons in history have seen magic this pure! They got on the magically reinforced bridge of stone and started to cross the sea of flames carefully... for one step and it was over... Alucard turned around brutally all of a second.  
Magus: What's wrong?  
Alucard: I just had this eerie feeling that we're being followed...  
Magus: What do you think could follow us here without us knowing?  
Alucard: Yeah, you're right... A bit farther on the bridge, Magus also got the feeling of being watched by some unknown force... And in a matter of seconds, the surface of the lake was disturbed by something except for the bubbles indicationg just how hot it was. A gathering of lava rose from the surface, forming a humanoid body before them. The being had the body of a middle height man, but no features whatsoever...  
Magus: An Elemental... and from this pool, I'd say a very high class one, not like the wimps we met in the colloseum... As he spoke, dozens more roze from the pit, rapidly having completely circled them.  
Alucard: Please do NOT tell me we have to kill all of those to keep going...  
Magus: Afraid so... The two began fighting the army of elementals, but for each one killed, another one rose... or was it the same one again... or was it two... As a result, after 5 minutes of hacking them to bits, all they had to show was a bigger army of elementals and some severe burns.  
Magus: I hate to say this, but we might be beat... ... ! He noticed Alucard was using an Icebrand.  
Magus: Hey, can I take your sword?  
Alucard: Got something planned?  
Magus: Yeah, get ready to run. Magus placed it in front of itself and watched the blade grow colder. He swung it hard and watched a large blade of Ice form itself in the arc the sword had just done, flying straight across the elementals, deforming them back to lava and allowing the pair to run before they reformed. The blade continued to slice all of them until they saw the end of the bridge.  
Magus: One last sprint! But as he spoke the surface bubbled, snorted and let otu a huge quantity of lava in the air, swallowing the Icy blade and forming into a huge humanoid form over 3 times their size and very muscular in appearance.  
Alucard: Can... these usually copy giants?  
Magus : Never seen them do it before now... The giant threw it'S fist down on them. It's huge mass made the blow slow and allowed the two to leap back before it hit them. Behind them, the other group hap appeared in view.  
Alucard: Now what?  
Magus: Cover me. I'm going to try something...  
Alucard: What? But before Magus could respond, the Giant sent another blow, sending them back again. This time alucard charged it, digging his sword in to it's mass and removed it's melted mass.  
Alucard: Uh-Oh! Magus, meanwhile took the Icebrand in front of him again and watched it gather power.  
Magus: Powers of nature, wind and frost, Imbue this blade with your power to freeze my foes to a sub-zero icicle. Icy tendrils gathered about the sword,reducing the temperature drastically to the point of his sweat freezing to his face. His hand slowly started to turn a bit blue. He threw the sword in to the Giant's head, watching it take immediate effect. A small spot of ice appeared around where the sword was planted, rapidy spreading down the beast and down into the river of molten power.  
Magus: I'm glad it worked... I thought I'd failed for a minute... Alucard got up, relieved that his life had been saved after he'd tripped.  
Alucard: Well, now what? This huge chunk of Ice is still blocking us!  
Magus: Oops, forgot that... ? They both heard a cracking noise and Magus' eyes turned a bit scared.  
Magus: Alucard, move fast! He turned around and noticed the giant had practically fallen on him.  
Alucard: Oh Crap! The beast crashed hard on the stone brige, breaking the ice everywhere and returning the cave to it's original state. Alucard reverted back from mist form at that imte, off of the bridge.  
Alucard: Whew! That was close...  
Magus: I'd forgotten you could do that, you lucky...  
Alucard: Less talk, more progress! At the other end was a long shaft leading up Alucard turned into a bat and Magus levitated up. Up there was another golden door that was a miniature version of Death's gate, but this one was keyless. Across from them was another room. They tried it first and ended up in a room where a stange sphere pulsed in mid-air.  
Magus: And what exactly is this supposed to be?  
Alucard: A save sphere. It allows us to save waht progress we've made in our lives and restart from here later... is something happens... Actually, I kinda never understood it myself... but it never hurts to do so... also, it refills our strength to max! Both got under the sphere and SAVED their lives so far just to get the refill in HP and MP... they crossed back to Death's door, but this time Magus felt something...  
Magus: Ah... there's something very powerful in there! ... ?? it just vanished... There it is again! ... ... Nope faded again... Wahtever'S in there... Just be ready...  
Alucard: Aren't we always? 


	28. Chapter 27 Omega Weapon

CHAPTER 27: OMEGA WEAPON  
  
As the door swung open, Magus noticed a small mist lying on the floor. In the center of the room was an omnious dark shadow stood. Although formless, it still gave off an appearance of might and power...  
Alucard: What is it?  
Magus: Concentrated evil, awaiting for something to show it's true form.  
Alucard: Like what?  
Magus: Usually, some sort of signal, determined at the time of it's trapping. Well, this is what Death was guarding it seems... Well, let's loot the place and leave before we accidentally free it... In the next room, they found a huge corpse of a dragon that seemed to have been there for ages becauseof the advanced state of decomposition it was in. In the cavern's upper walls was a shadow drake sleeping peacefully...  
Magus: Okay, let's pillage the place quietly and be done with it. They split up and searched the large room for something of use. A bit later, Alucard found a rope.  
Alucard: I wonder what this does.  
Magus: Alucard! NO! As Alucard's fingers touched the rope, it started to vibrate. Both clearly heard the church's bells ring loudly enough to wake the dead. Along with it came a few loud roars, including one from the room they'd just come from.  
Magus: Why did you have to pull that rope.... *sigh* A bit depressed, he crossed back to find the demon they'd freed. The demon turned it's back on them, it's huge tail hitting empty air. It turned to face them. it's body was quite huge, bulky and just a bit ugly. It's lower body was completely muscular. It needed to stand on four legs and use it's tail to keep itself standing. It had a face on it's groin, like that of a puma, but much more deformed. It's upper body was more manlike but it's face seemed pledged as a crossover between man and bat. It's huge sword was honed to the razor edge, seemingly capable of slicing the air itself. It's eyes shinned with intelligence as it looked at the pair.  
Demon: Magus!  
Magus: It just had to be you...  
Omega: I'll get you this time, you lowly man!  
Alucard: Do... you two know each other?  
Magus: Actually, I forgot where I dumped him... apparently, it was here.  
Omega: No... You dumped me very far from here, Death just picked the sphere up and brought it here.  
Magus: Well, I'll have to kill you this time.  
Omega: Do you honestly think you've done that much progress?  
Magus: Well, let's hope I have...  
Omega: Last time, you failed miserably, so don't dissapoint me...  
Magus: Alucard, this will be the toughest fight you've had for quite some time.  
Alucard: What is it?  
Magus: An earthly demon, the most dangerous type out there. Created by the planet to defend itself against anything. It's the oldest and most powerful that all the others out there.  
Alucard: So WE have to kill it, right?  
Magus: Unfortunately...  
Alucard: I was afraid you were going to say that...  
Omega: First, I'll slay you, Magus, them it's Galamoth's turn.  
Magus: Galamoth? Why Galamoth?  
Omega: Because his power is growing too rapidly. Since the... Accident, he's been trainign to defeat you and he's finally ready and waiting. Now die!  
Magus: Bring it on. We'll see if you've rusted over the past years... Magus charged the massive weapon, but only succeeded in eating a large hit in the head by the Weapon's sword instead. The large cut across his forehead oozing blood all over his face, obscuring his vision. The creature took it's enemy's unexpected handicap to it's advantage and gathered power in it's lower mouth.  
Alucard: MAGUS! WATCH OUT! As Magus finally got most of the blood off his eyes, his eyes grew wide. A light pillar burst from the mouth, crashing directly into Magus, dragging him into a nearby wall, pinning him there for a second and then he fell face flat on the bony floor, sending little skulls rolling all over the place. Alucard, terror stricken by the attack, stood gaping at the Weapon. It turned it's attention to him. It twirled it's arm a bit and Alucard felt the gravity around him triple, forcing him to deploy immense strength for the few seconds it lasted. it had drained him of 2/3 of his strength. The sword familiar charged it from the side, but got stopped by a green light emanating from it, forming a dome on it, clearing the floor into a crater. The sword was no more... for now. (Familiars automatically regenerate after a week.) Alucard, maddened by the possible loss of his friend and familiar, charged the huge beast. His Gurthang and Runesword both ebbed in the beast's flesh, but it didn't even flinch.  
Omega: Pathetic weakling. Both of you die no.... A strange throb was heard...  
Thump, thump  
Omega: What is that annoying noise?  
Thump, thump  
Alucard: What is this? some sort of trick?  
Thump, thump Omega closed his eyes and pinpointed the source... Magus.  
Thump, thump  
Omega: He's on the verge of death, so why is his heartbeat so stable?  
Thump, thump Thump, thump The earth started to lightly shake and purple lightning coursed along it.  
Thump, thump Thump, thump Thump, thump  
Thump, thump Thump, thump Thump, thump A dark thunderbolt struck the semicorpse as a dome of pure shadow formed itself around him. Omega leapt up, let a small beam burst from it's mouth. As the beam collided with nothingness, the catacomb seemed to fade, only emptiness remained. It launched a battery of highly powered energy rays from it's palms streaking at the dark dome and let it all go in a huge explosion, knocking Alucard out cold. They were back at the room, the dome unscratched as it suddenly burst, revealing Omega Weapon's match.  
Omega: Brood... Interesting...  
  
***********************  
  
Magus came back to himself a lot later, moving the pile of dead skulls from beside him and found Omega's corpse, on the verge of disintegration, pummeled to a holy pulp. Claw marks and bites were all over it's body.  
Magus: What could've done this?... probaly the Drake... we were makign an enormous ammount of noise. Alucard slowly got up, still a bit confused by that explosion.  
Alucard: Magus, what was that dark dome on you earlier?  
Magus: D... Dark dome??? I have no idea....  
Alucard (Mentally): He's lying again... Magus went to the Omega's corpse and tore it's sword from it's hand, shrinking it to human proportions.  
Magus: Here, you'll find more use in this than I can.  
Alucard: Thanks... I guess...  
Magus: We'd better leave, without that sword, that corpse is going to explode any time now!  
Alucard: WHAT? 


	29. Chapter 28 Bahamut

CHAPTER 28: BAHAMUT  
  
An arm of the titanous Weapon at their feet blew to bits sending the two flying out of the door and down the long shaft. They crashed painfully at the bottom.  
Magus: Oww... this is not the way down two stories...!! He noticed the huge wave of flames bursting out of the room and down the shaft torwards them.  
Magus: Move it! He levitated and flew forwards at great speed, followed by Alucard in wolf mode going at super speed. As they raced agaisnt the expolosion's wave, they noticed that everything else had already evacuated... As the door got in sight the flamy wave managed to roast a few of Alucard's hairs, showing them how close it was... As soon as they crossed the door, the ducked to the floor, letting the wave pass, leaving them unharmed...  
Alucard: Made it...  
Magus: Only the clock tower's left is seems...  
Alucard: And beyond it is the castle keep and our foe. They went back up to the surface and back up to the top door of the elevator of the outer wall.  
Magus: Now, to open this door... since we still have no idea how, I guess we'll just have to use brute force... :)  
Alucard: Magus... is that skull shaped recess the keyhole?  
Magus: Probably...  
Alucard: Then wouldn't this help? He took out the jeweled skull he' found beyond the spike room. Magus stared wildly at it, impressed by the sheer sparkle it gave. He slid the diamond skull in and heard a small click as the wards faded and the door opened. They started out in a room very high in the tower, their only way across being jumping on two moving gears, killing a blood skeleton on each and goign up the stairs on the ledge beyond the gears. They just flew across, avoiding the entire gear thing. In the next room was a large chasm leading back down and a few pairs of staircases...  
Magus : Ah god Dammit! More stairs! ...staircases leading up to platforms with bone pillars on them at the top layed a larger stone formation with an axe lord and a few ravens. They climbed up, killed the bone pillar on each of the 5 levels and cut the annoying ravens and axe armor to bloody pieces of armor and feathers. Beyond was a long room filled with gears and spear guards and axe armors, but they were right beside a giant gear and above the door leading out, so they just flew up to it and left the room. In the next room layed a long shaft filled with gears, steel pipes, floating platforms, spikes spear guards placed at important spots so they can stab you in the head and bat holes all over the walls... to be more precise, a large pain in the ass. After several tries, they got to the top and found a room much like the first. Two gears protected by ghosts, followed by the platform leading to the next room guarded by a red axe armor (the difference? They can run!) It was over in a minute. The next was another vertical shaft, but this time with stairs, medusa heads and gears, much easier to climb. After that room they emerged in the open, beside the huge display of the clock. There awaited a sorceress with hair made of flames riding a giant skull that stared at them with it's weird eyeballs. As soon as it started moving, they gouged out it'S eyes with their swords and cut both skull and witch to bits, going to the present. In the present, they were in a room with a huge jar.  
Magus: Someone needs better ideas for home decorating... The next room featured pendulumns leading to nowhere and suspended over solid grown. They leapt off and followed the ground hall to a bunch of Sword Lords. They killed eah with one hit only to see their spirits rise again holding their broken sword. They died just as fast.  
Alucard: More! More I say!! MORE!!  
Magus: Um... Alucard? Maybe you should use another sword...  
Alucard: Why this one packs so muck power!  
Magus: Probably because it's practically controlling you. You are using a living sword. It has a will of it's own and if you don't watch out, you'll become a most wanted criminal in no time flat. The next three rooms were gear shafts with harpies and medusa heads, no sense wasting time on them... finally they left into a large exterior courtyard filled with remains of ancient arcways now nothing but broken and sometimes unstable ruins. A tremendous roar was heard and two immense dragons swooped down to the middle of the courtyard. Geyish Blue Dragon: You trespass within our lord's territory...  
Blackish Blue Dragon: ... And so you must be eliminated. Both dragon's mouthes opened and energy gathered fast, bursting out with titanic force. The two attacks collided powerfully with the spot they'd stood, but they'd already left the spot. Magus landed one one hand on a column and used it to propell himself up to a more stable spot, the top of an old pillar. Alucard landed, but his spot immediatly collapsed, takign him down with it. Magus stared at his foes and started to laugh under his breath.  
Magus: So... even gods of their stature can get possessed... just great, real encouraging for the future guys... but that just means I get to defeat gods, and not just any gods as well... Dragon got Bahamut, Destruction lord Tiamat, prepare to meet the reaper. For once this spell will work, since both of you are alive... "Heed me now he who is darker than dusk, heed that which is more red than blood.  
In the name of that which has been buried in the bottomless abyss of time eternal.  
I summon thee, master of the ultimate darkness.  
Have no pity for the fools who stand in our way.  
Infuse me with power, let you strength become mine to wipe them from the face of this earth, to deliver to them the ultimate doom.  
DRAGON FLARE!"  
  
Just like their breaths, power flared in his hands and burst out. Bahamut, being more agile and smarter, dodged the attack, but poor Tiamat was vaporized by the attack. Bahamut took the opening following the attack to fly in close and lunge at his fe with the huge claws on top of his wings... that is before the top of a wooden staff with a red gem in the center burst out of his chest, splattering dragon blood over Magus and makign the titanic beast crash to the floor. Magus saw his savior jump down to the corpse and followed. At the bottom was the man prying his staff out of the corpse. The man was aroudn 6 1/2 feet tall, slender, wearing weird medieval clothes and a cape and had short purple hair. He raised his head and stared at Magus with his seemingly closed eyes, a devilish grin all over his face.  
Man: Well, if it isn't Magus. We just keep meeting, don't we?  
Magus: Xelloss!  
Xelloss: At least you remembered my name.  
Magus: What brings you here?  
Xelloss: Well, you know, the eternal continuation of Komasenso(Great monster war(The war between demons and dragons)) When Xellas heard that none of the Mazoku(Subrace of the demons) were invited this time and that Bahamut and Tiamat were there, well, you know her...  
Magus: Yeah, I can guess...  
Alucard: Ow... ?? Magus, who is he?  
Magus: An old friend. Alucard meet Xelloss.  
Alucard: Um... Hi.  
Xelloss: Oh, so you're Alucard, Dracula's son?  
Alucard: Um... yeah...  
Magus: Don't be so tense.  
Alucard: I can't stop myself he just doesn't seem normal.  
Magus: He's a Mazoku.  
Alucard: A... Mazoku.  
Magus: Yeah... we fought side by side during one of the more known chapters of Komasenso back in 900.  
Alucard: So... let me guet this staight. You can't stand to have Lyliara in the same room for the life of you, yet you're best friends with a Mazoku... Are you sure you're okay?  
Magus: Just shut up. Xelloss: So, shall we go?  
Magus: Allright, on to the future! The trio crossed the gate trio the future, not knowing what to expect. 


	30. Chapter 29 Clock Tower

CHAPTER 29: CLOCK TOWER  
  
The clock tower was empty... the entire exterior courtyard was completely empty...  
Magus: What in the inferno...?  
Xelloss: Could they be hiding?  
Alucard: Dracula's men don't even know to stay at intelligent points and not all gang up in one easy spot. Hiding is just way too intelligent for them. Suddenly, a dark shadow was above Magus, making him look draped in omnious shadows. A second later, a new Mecha zombie was in front of them. It looked a lot like the older ones, but had wings and a tail.  
Magus: What are we at now? 5174 if I remember right? Two more fell from the sky. They looked at each other for a second and attacked, each a separate foe. In a matter of seconds, Magus found himself holding off his with both his swords crossed to block his opponent's claws. The sheer power it was pushing down with made it to be beyond most others... it's true also that none of the others had never gotten so close. He barely noticed in the corner of his eye the machine's tail flying at him, it's spikes out to impale. He sidestepped, letting the thing's claws fall torwards the ground, but instead it immediately recovered and was already slashing back. Alucard's fight had begun with the same basic tactic, except that it lost it' claws when he blocked. It's tail burrowed within the stony floor and emerged with splintering effect. But Alucard cut it in half. The zombie then leapt back in the sky and dissapeared. Magus still struggled with his foe. Each blow was countered and then parried, each enemy attacked seemed planned and well thought. Magus did something real stupid there, he dropped his guard for a second and got a vicious stab in the gut for that. The zombie's claws descended for the kill, but it's head went flying and landed in a hole in the wall.  
Xelloss: Well, it seems I made a hole in one...  
Magus: T... hanks...  
Alucard: Are you allright?  
Magus: Y...eah... I've... had worst...  
Alucard : Um... Your gut is coming out of your body even though your hand is trying to keep it in. And you've had worst? Are you sure you're thinking straight? ... Oh... Wait... you did get worst. Sorry.  
Magus: Yeah... those zombies we... saw are equipped with... powerful AI... They managed... to memorize and counter... all my tactics... could you two... hunt them down... while I heal up?..................  
Alucard: He's fainted.  
Xelloss: Not quite. He's merely placed himself in suspended animation during the length of his healing spell, that way, since not having to maintain his vital functions, his energy can all go directly to fixing up that claw wound.  
Alucard: Oh... You lost me way back there, but I understood the basics of it. The pair entered the clock tower and found it even more dangerous than before. Above them were gears with razor sharp sides, Pistons to squash you, electrified wires hanging loosely, countless ammounts of spikes on the walls, stupid medusa heads to thrown themselves in the spikes and no signs of any mecha zombies.  
Xelloss: Well, this is a rather cheerful place to look for murderous robots, wouldn't you say?  
Alucard: You've got to be kidding me... Alucard leapt to the first platform and saw one of the gears detach itself, planning on cutting him to shreads. He turned to mist and let it pass and continue it's deadly journey.  
Alucard: Oh, this is going to be a pain... They progressed slowly and carefully up the dangerous clock tower. About halfay up the shaft, they noticed the spikes on the wall start to move.  
Alucard: What the?  
Xelloss: Well, it appears we've found our foe after all... The entire wall's spike rows started to move, get up and reveal mecha zombies 5174. In all, there were around 100 of them.  
Alucard: So many of them... The air around them got heavy as the pressure rose. Everything that could move was still... And then the horde took flight, swarmign their foes in instants. Each of Alucard's swings took out around half a dozen, but he took more than a dozen wounds varying in gravity. Xeloss kept flipping in and out of the astral plain, takign out a zombie with each new appearance. After around half an hour, the horde was scrap at the bottom of the shaft, Alucard was on his knees gravely wounded and Xelloss didn't have a scratch.  
  
Xelloss: Well, it seem that they don't fight so well in groups, do they?  
Alucard: That's too bad for them...  
Xelloss: Now now, let's get you haled and go get Magus...  
Magus: That's a mighty fine job you two just did... Magus was on a platform above them, clapping his hands.  
Alucard: How did you?  
Magus: The way at the bottom was blocked by scrap metal, so I levitated to the top and came in through the window.  
Alucard: Ah FUCK!! To think we risked our lives getting up here! Magus healed Alucard and they got to the top. In the next room was a giant metal armor with a sword. Magus ran to it, passed between it's legs cutting them off as he passed and watched it fall and break. The next room was a small vertical shaft leading down. After avoiding three gears, they stood beside a large metal door, no lock on it whatsoever. As thy got close, it slid up and dissappeared into the wall, letting them in a large room where one larger than normal Mecha Zombie 5171 stood.  
Zombie: Welcome, murderers of my people.  
Alucard: It can talk!!  
Magus: Shut up! You were saying...  
Zombie: Well, actually, I was goign to make a long and boring speech about how you destroyed many of my children and so on, but I'll just skip to the I'll kill you for your actions.  
Magus: Fine by me... But what are you exactly?  
Zombie: I am the 5170 Test type  
Magus: Oh... that explains the intelligence enough for speech.  
Alucard: I don't get it...  
Magus: The first two, the test type and the prototype are much, MUCH stronger than the cheap replicas of 5170 and above... unlike the others, they have souls. Damn Sylansel... The robot raised it's hand and a bunch of 5174's came out of fissures in the walls.  
5170: Now get ready... In seconds, all three were battle ready. Each having picked their foes.  
  
5170: Now fight for survival! The robot's arms extended anf grappled Magus'S legs, dragging him in the air. His sword flew in an arc from the floor to the being's arm, bouncing helplessly against it.  
Magus: What's this?  
5170: My armor's much more advanced than the crap you've been fighting up to now... Sylansel had too many problems with us and made the other models weaker and mindless, trying to find where his mistakes were ion our design, making them a bit stronger every time, but nothing compared to us.  
Magus: So it's because of you that Sylansel's been building crap?  
5170: Actually, the idea of infusing souls within machines came to him much sooner, back when he was working with the Ragnarok series... Rune Reaperblade and Nether Epyon were the ones that taught him the terror of soul infusing within machines... We're nothing but his second attempts at the matter.  
Magus: Hm... He concentrated a bit of power and cast a Bolt wave spell at it. Two bolts came out of his hands, spreading in size and range rapidly, envelopping the robot in it's deadly current. The shock made it let go of his prey. Magus took his sword and stabbed at the robot's pants, seeing an expression of agony on the being's face. He looked at it fall to it's knees, grabbing it's groin.  
Magus: Sylansel really does make his robots anatomically correct, doesn't he? I'd say that if robots could have kids you could forget the idea... He turned and looked at how the other two were fairing. Xeloss was teleporting around, continuing to fight with his one working am, the other one having been damaged earlier in the fight. Alucard was swinging like a maniac, hacking robots to bits. He also noticed the walls were still spewing thousands of other robots.  
Magus: Okay, I'd better do something about that ant colony...  
"Light which burns asunder above our heads day and night  
Force of nature, anger of the heavens, raging thunder  
Lend me thy strength, twy power, twy might  
To render my foes to smoldering piles of ashes!  
Thunder C..." Magus was dragged off his feet by the robot's arm, having gotten over the pain... He noticed his mistake a bit too late, as Magus was totally upside down and looking straight at him...  
Magus: "Thunder Clap!" An oval of electricity bolted out of his hands and collided straight with the Mecha Zombie's face, bursting into a tremendous lightning show. Electricity flared in every possible direction Snakes of lightnign ran arund the room, destroying every zombie that came in contact with it. The wall's zombies were retreating within the safety of the wall instead of trying their luck outside.  
Alucard: Thanks... Where's Xelloss gone?  
Magus: Probably to heal himself, he got quite a wound in the fight... Well, let's keep going! The room beyond was pendulumn filled. A close inspectin at what was over showed a green liquid emanating a smoke of the same color.  
Magus: Uh Oh... Magus cast a light spell and sent it in the fog and it dissappeared.  
Magus: Anti-magic fog... as long as we're in it, forget any type of magic, so we'll have to cross this room honestly... hope your timing's good because you do NOT want to fall... They swung from pendulumn to pendulumn for quite some time, meeting a few medusa heads ner the en d makign it hard to aim, destroy monsters, time jumps and hold the pendulumns at the same time. At the end of the hall was a large door much like the one Death was guarding. The ystarted to hear the soudn of a dragon sleeping nearby.  
Alucard: Is that a good sound or not?  
Magus: Well, it isn't awake, isn't it? Magus put his hand to the handle of the gate and froze... 


	31. Chapter 30 Neo Galamoth

CHAPTER 30: NEO GALAMOTH  
  
Magus: So, that's why the demons were so nice recently...  
Alucard: What do you mean?  
Magus: Behind this door lies a demon I "faced" in the past catacombs. He's already returned for revenge. He's also the one Behemoth King Catoblepas was after...  
Alucard: What are you saying?  
Magus: That this demon is so great that he even stirs the attention of the 4 demon generals of Evaris Elfslayer, the legendary demon king that ruled the lower plains for an eternity and brought our world to the brink of destruction. But what's strange is that these 4 demons have been said to have entered a deep trance at Evaris' death and have not woken from it since... but yet we saw Catoblepas today, so this is quite intriguing... Unless...  
Alucard: Unless?  
Magus: Unless the demon king has been reborn!  
Alucard: But why come after this demon then?  
Magus: Well, let's find out, shall we? The pair entered the demon's room, the final guardian before the castle keep, where the lord of the castle awaited... Inside was a huge green demon with a titanous spiked mace. He still wore the strange Egyptian-like armor he had last time, but had added a few pieces, but nothing worth mentioning. He was crouching on his knee and raised his head to stare at then when they entered. His dark purple eyes stared at them with a look of hatred and amusement.  
Demon: Ras enten seis gran dokum.  
Magus: ... I've been waiting years for this day...  
Demon: En eis wak quis trask helm.  
Magus : Today the tides shift torwards your demise... Hmm, so you say you'll defeat me? Tell me one thing first? What's going in on here? What's happening to stir the demonic empire so much?  
Demon: Gan seik has nelir vak dor sketh ban. Dalet vas jan deis deik ham. Sein had geik yaq vein hal kath hen. Gra suk vas Galamoth, san Evaris alin.  
Magus: N... nani??  
Alucard : What ?  
Magus: ... You see, the foolish current emperor of the demons proclaims himself king. He doesn't have the right to, he does not hold the right blood, that of the first god of our race. I merely intend to reclaim my birthright but the 4 refuse to honor their oath. I am Galamoth, son of Evaris.  
Alucard: So... you're saying he's the son of that legendary demon?  
Magus: Unfortunately. This is a lot more serious than expected. So this is just a power struggle between you and the Nether king, but why did Catoblepas interfere?  
Galamoth: San Catoblepas hath neis kruz pran.  
Magus: ... Father's guardian Catoblepas says I'm not ready for the throne yet...  
Alucard: Well now, should we get started soon or are you two just going to talk? The demon smiled and rose. He was around five times their size.  
Alucard: Wow... Now that's one big demon! He took out his Omega Weapon and made sure the Demon familiar was still around. Magus had his two Moonblades ready and awaited for the demon to attack first to study it's technique and hopefully find an opening for an assault. Galamoth did strike, but way faster than expected. The mace traced a horizontal ark at them, faster than their evade time. Magus managed to placed his swords between the strike and him, having them eat a bit of the strike's power, but it was still enough to make them both reel back, slamming in the wall, almost knocking them unconscious. The familiar dashed at it during the strike, hoping to get close enough to unleash the Holy light Spear at point blank, but the fiend opened his eyes larger, letting out a burst of power great enough to send it flying across the wall out in the twilight sky. It had at least bought enough time for Magus and Alucard to get up again. The pair charged him, hoping he wouldn't react in time, but he did, thrusting his mace at them. Magus sidestepped, but Alucard's reaction time was slower, getting hit and flying back in the wall, almost piercing it, blood coming out from behind him. Magus managed to get in close, but the demon placed his hand above him, reciting a few word to create a cage of Electricity reaching the floor from his hand. Magus swung at the cage, but received a heavy shock from the bars, making him reel back to the center of the cage, swearing. The demon laughed and recited a few more words, making the bars of his cage shoot bolts at him, zapping him , making him scream his lungs out and later collapse, smoking and fried, quasi-lifeless. His sword's blue aura got smaller and darker, almost fading from the sword's surface...  
Galamoth(Demonic translated to English because our translator is in no state to translate): So, is that it? Already down and out? And this is the man that defeated Catoblepas? He must've really weakened since last I saw him... No matter, now that you're out of the way, the throne to the lower plains is as good as mine. But first, I'll finish you off, so you don't do like me and seek me for revenge. The demon's hands burst vivid with incandescent bolts of lightning. He shot them out at his foes, but a strange green sword split the heavens and landed between Galamoth and the quasi-deceased duo. The sword absorbed the lightning into itself. Rapidly, a burst of power came out of nowhere and tore off one of the demon's arms.  
Galamoth: What's going on here?  
Magus: Don't try to figure it out, it's just too complicated... Galamoth stared in the direction of the voice and saw Magus up on one of the higher arks of the room. He quizzically stared between his grounded foe and the other one, trying to find a difference between the two. While he tried to figure his problem, another blast burst out of empty air, this time he managed to avoid it and managed to discern a ghostly figure where the blast had come from.  
Galamoth: So, this is what it's come down to, letting your ghost friend do all the job for you?  
Magus: Far from it. He leapt down, landing hard, losing his balance and crashing.  
Ghost: Magus, dear! Are you allright?  
Magus: Yes, don't worry... Galamoth, I'm here to kill you.  
Galamoth: You expect to defeat me when you can barely stand up?  
Magus: Yes... in fact, my previous foe was stronger than expected. He picked up his sword and pointed at his foe. He charged the demon, avoided a massive bolt of thunder shot at him, leapt and threw his sword before getting hit by the next bolt that flew his way. The sword ebbed itself up to the hilt in the demon's skull, making him collapse. Magus fell to the floor hard, resembling the other's old condition, but weaker. Meanwhile the other Magus, the one we've followed up to now managed to get up, still barely standing. He stared over in Alucard's direction, seeing the huge puddle of blood on the floor and wall, but also the ghostly figure next to him, draping him in white. Alucard opened his eyes and got up. He saw the ghost come to him and felt a gentle soothing cross him.  
Magus: I thank you.  
Ghost: Don't, it's only natural for me to do this, dear. He was a bit surprised by the girl's voice... he knew it well.  
Magus: C... Cilliana? Magus's hair grew again and went down a few shades to a rather normal blue.  
Cilliana's ghost: Ah, so Janus awakens... I'm glad you're better.  
Janus: What happened to you, you're a ghost?  
Cilliana: The same as everyone, I died.  
Janus: N... no... ...  
Cilliana: Don't worry, I'm from the future, so the real me is still quite alive and healthy at the time. He sighed in relief. He then noticed the other him.  
Janus: Shouldn't you heal him?  
Cilliana: He doesn't wish to be healed. I died and he decided to follow me.  
Janus: I see...  
Cilliana: Don't worry, a series of events have lead us to this, maybe you won't make the same choices...!! The trio turned back to the demon, his body rised upwards, the sword still ebbed in his skull, between his two eyes. He extended his right hand torwards Janus and Cilliana. It started to twitch and a strange form started to appear around it. He used his left hand that had mysteriously reattached itself to help keep his hand aimed at them. The weird form was consisted of 10 small transparent metallic articulations leaving his hand and heading torwards him. 5 of them, forming a star, moved so that they aimed at the two. They suddenly extended forward, menacing to collide rapidly. Cilliana got in the way, getting all of them to collide with her ethereal body, wrapping her in a strange energy and fragmenting her until only energy was left. Those 5 little piles of energy, aligned on the 5 that hadn't been moved, flowed back at Galamoth and went inside his body..  
Janus: C... C... Ci... ... ...  
Alucard : What just happened ?  
Magus: He... Galamoth used his innate... attack, allowing to assimilate... one target's remains to his power... a sort of power absorption attack... !!!!! Magus turned fast to notice Janus. His hair was flying loosely in the air, still hanging to his face, his eyes were blank, his body still. His hair went down a few more tints to sea blue. His face became slimmer and much more beautiful. He also grew breasts.  
Magus: Janesil? Impossible!!  
Alucard: What's going on?  
Magus: J... Janesil's out... and at a time like this... we're doomed. Swirls of dark lightnign pulsed all over her body and in the air about her. The wind stopped, the sky became dark, the only light being that of her eyes. The fondations of the castle started to shake, menacing to give in any momment now...  
Alucard: What's going on? Who is this girl?  
Magus: She is Janesil, the third and final spirit inside of me, the most powerful usually sealed in the deepest recesses of my mind... but she's managed to break out... her power is unimaginable at times... and she's currently performign Critical break, an attack that allows her to deploy her full potential but only if the person she cares for most in the entire universe, the person she cares more for than life itself dies...  
Alucard: But why now?  
Magus: Cilliana just died...  
Alucard: C... Cilliana? She's a lesbian??  
Magus: That's beside the point. You've seen what she could do in the Colloseum twice, but now that she's in control and not Janus, the power generated will be much, MUCH stronger.  
Alucard: You mean she caused those surge... STRONGER? One bolt scraped his arm and it practically flew off. Alucard didn't even feel pain, just his arm become unuseable.  
Janesil: You've dared touch the one I care for... You dare challenge me... The electricity got much stronger, tearing down the walls it touched in instants, not even slowing down. One bolt touched Galamoth's chest and pierced it clean. Galamoth used his attack again, once again in control of his body. The 5 streams burst at her, but she didn't even try to avoid them. When they got close, they shattered to thousands of pieces on the floor.  
Galamoth: I... impossible! Those should've...  
Janesil: Only on weakened foes or those who are below half your power. But you're nothing but a slime to me... A slime that deserves a fate worst than death. She got close and thrust her hand in his body, the demon's blood disintegrating before it even got close to her.  
"Evil force that drives men to madness  
Become my toy for vengeance.  
Soul Cru..." She stopped and levitated to his face.  
Janesil: You haven't changed at all... your power is still as pathetic as before... why?  
Galamoth: I... I have no idea! *coughs blood*  
Janesil: Pathetic scup  
"Ye who wishes but torment and chaos Become my ally and deliver madness Destroy this man's soul with the grueling claw of agony! Tortuous bind!" Galamoth's eyes went blank. He flell to hi knees and to the floor, twitchig n uncontrollably, blood proutign from hundreads and thousands of wounds opening all over his body, turning him into a mountain of blood in seconds, but the real torment lied within, his very souls was being clawed at, delicately but not cleanly pierced, shredded, torn... practically destroyed in short. The others watched in disgust as his body continued to degenerate. Intestins flowed out freely inraveling all over the floor. And arm burst into pieces, a leg went upside down. His armor coiled itself so it pierced what was left of him. Janesil watched it all calmly, not surprised by anythign while Alucard felt like puking. She suddenly stopped the spell and pickd up the almost inanimate mass and lifted it upright.  
Janesil: Enough enjoying yourself, return her if you value your soul. The demon groaned and a delicate ball of light came out of him and dissappeared.  
Janesil: It seems demons aren't so stupid finally. She slapped him and his head flew off, crashign into a wall and splatteign into a pile of blood, broken bones and organs. His eyes rolled and bounced around the room until they fell out of the shattered walls. His brain was right below where Janesil landed.  
Janesil: Eew! There's something on my boots!! She flinged it with her foot out of the room.  
Janesil: Ah... W... what happened here? This cold blooded massacre... Who did this?!?  
Magus: *Hack* *Wheeze* Alucard... please end my suffering... ...  
Alucard: ... ... ... Sure old friend... Alucard picked up his sword and stabbed the man in the head, his body immediately fading, so did his sword. They heard a strange sound and saw Lyliara pop out of nowhere.  
Lyliara: oh Galamoth dear, have I got info for you! ...? ...!!!!!  
Alucard: Lyliara!  
Lyliara: So... it wasn't just my imagination... a power THAT immense can't be imagined... She looked around at the floor covered entirely of blood, bits of bones and the gory pile of blood and intestine in the corner.  
Lyliara: Defeating Galamoth in such a way is almost impossible...  
Alucard: It's true, I saw her treat him like a straw doll. The demon came in close to witness the killer firsthand.  
Lyliara: Yes, your power is incredible, but not enough to do THIS!  
Janesil: Nice clothes! Where did you get them?? I want one!! Alucard looked at her dumbfound. Magus couldn't stand the girl iun the same room but now this girl just asks her like that where she gets her clothes... Just unbelievable that the two were one...  
Lyliara: You like it? It's my favorite! Unfortunately, they only sell it down in the abyss...  
Janesil: Oh, going down there isn't a problem for me... exactly where?  
Lyliara: It was... 1596 royal avenue in the main town. Tell them I sent you and you'll get a huge discount! It's not everyday that the Nether King's daughter recommends their shop!  
Alucard: What? Could you repeat that?  
Lyliara: Oh, you didn't know I was the Nether King's daughter?  
Alucard: The Nether king... He's the guy Galamoth wants to kill.  
Lyliara: Yeah... Galamoth and daddy have never quite gotten along since Galamoth turned 2400... But I thought we were here to solve your family problems?  
Alucard: What??  
Lyliara: Just keep going and you'll understand... Speakign of which... You hair's beautiful!!  
Janesil: It's all in the shampoo!  
Alucard: Girls... They went on to the castle keep as the two girls kept talking... 


	32. Chapter 31 Alucart

CHAPTER 31: ALUCART  
  
The castle keep loomed ahead at the top of a large staircase. The three went up the long staircase up to the main bronze door to the keep. Inside was a beautiful hall filled with beautiful paintings and a large wooden table with a chandelier on it, above the table was a beautiful globe filled with thousands of different colors swirling and formign into various images projected onto a nearby wall. In the back was another bronze door and next to them were stairs leading up.  
Janesil: Weird place... In the next room was a large throne opon a red carpet. In it sat a man and beside it was a chained form.  
Voice: Ah, welcome at last to my home...  
Alucard: That voice... Can it be...  
Voice: Yes it is. Welcome home, dear brother...  
Alucard: Alucart... Why did you return here?  
Alucart: Why, any man is allowed to miss his family.  
Alucard: Like I'm stupid enough to believe that.  
Alucart: Smart as always. You've all heard of this castle's recent decline... well, I've come to make things right again! He rose from his seat.  
Alucart: I see you brought some friends with you... Ah Lyliara, come to get more good stuff?  
Lyliara: You'd wish. :(  
Alucart: And I haven't seen this lovely lady before... I hope to get to know her MUCH better soon...  
Janesil: Nani?  
Lyliara: He means to rape you, idiot. ^^;  
Janesil: Kyah! Never in a lifetime!  
Lyliara: I honestly don't know how you do it, sleeping with a girl...  
Janesil: Hey, you don't pick who you fall in love with, it just happens...  
Alucart: A lesbian? She's so much more interesting now...  
Alucard: I'd keep my fingers off her if I were you?  
Alucart: And why would I do that?  
Alucard: Just a question. Waht do you think of Neo galamoht on the power side?  
Alucart: He is my finest warrior, more powerful than me, but I have the brains to go with my power, why do you ask?  
Alucard: Well, I just had fun watching her turn him into a bloody pulp without breaking a sweat.  
Alucart: What? I'll go check...  
  
He just leaves the room. They hear a weak moan from the form beside the chair. Lyliara takes the black sheet off of it and reveals Dracula.  
Alucard: Father?  
Dracula: A... Alucard, is that you?  
Alucard: Yes father, what happened to you?  
Dracula: Alucart summoned me back here... he wants the power of this castle as his own... you have to stop him or...  
Alucart: That's enough father. We don't want you worrying your son like that...  
Alucard: Free father now!  
Alucart: Ah, sentimentalist Alucard to the rescue! Why, I'll free him... that is, if you can defeat me!  
Alucard: I shall win!  
Alucart: May I ask the ladies not to interfere?  
Lyliara: Yeah, yeah, whatever... :|  
Janesil: Okay.  
Alucart: And to prove I'm not cheap, I've arranged for a little diversion for both of you... Lyliara, your foe awaits above, Janesil was it? Your foe awaits outside. Now brother, shall we begin?  
Alucard: You're on!  
  
***********************  
  
Lyliara went up the stairs and found her foe, a muscled man with spiky black hair.  
Vegeta: Ah, so there you are! That man promised me enormous power if I could vanquish you.  
Lyliara: Oh. It's the twit again. :(  
Vegeta: Talk all you want. He rushed her and threw a punch. She dodged and hit him, makign him fly straight in a wall and fall unconscious.  
Lyliara: He knows how strong I am, so why this weakling? :( She goes back down and finds the two of them goign at it, trying to tear across each other's defenses.  
Lyliara: Hey! Why the weak enemy?  
Alucart: Buisy!  
Lyliara: Men! She watches the two men's swords clash with each other while their wielders descended to the level of basic name-calling to pass time. Soon, a power unlike any was felt, as overwhelming as the one they'd felt in Ryu's quarters followed by a titanous sound of breaking and heavy winds.  
Alucart: Now what's she doing?  
Alucard: Lyliara? What's wrong?  
Lyliara : The power... I...t's as overwhelming as before... maybe even worst... She hurries out, followed by the two men who'se attentoin she'd managed to draw.  
  
***********************  
  
Janesil left the tower and saw a dark man decend from the sky. He was taller than most, pretty musular, short black hair reaching the bottom of his neck, shadow black eyes and skin just as black.  
Janesil: Y... you're Darkon!  
Darkon: Ah, Janesil! How nice to see you again! How have you been? Magus letting you out often?  
Janesil: Of course not! You know he can't stand me!  
Darkon: Oh yeah... I guess it slipped my mind.  
Janesil: How did you manage to get a body again?  
Darkon: Oh don't you remember? Magus gave it to me!  
Janesil: Oh I see, that's why you went after Galamoth... You used his cell structure to allow you to create this body for you, your own cells being unable to hold together.  
Darkon: Bingo!  
Janesil: But I can't believe you would ally yourself with an inferior being like Alucart... I'm ahamed of you...  
Darkon: What are you saying? I've just caught up with you, you managed to get quite ahead of me. By the time my body was complete, you were already at the gates of the clock tower.  
Janesil: But Alucart told me to come out here to fight my foe...  
Darkon: Would THAT be your foe by any chance? He points at the wall. Shelooks where he pointed and noticed the large blood stain on the wall.  
Janesil: That weak?  
Darkon: Even weaker.  
Janesil: Boy he underestimates me.  
Darkon: Yes... But I don't.  
Janesil: So I take it you want to kill me, right?  
Darkon: Well, actually, I've just come to return something of yours...  
"Blade of Elemental fury, through mastery, I summon thee  
Escape the darkness that you call home  
Return now to the planes of men and unleash ultimate destruction  
On those who seek nothing but Death!  
Ragna Blade!!!" A small dark hole appeared and from it poured out a shadow black sword gleamign with small passing rays of light roatting around the sword itself once in awhile.  
Janesil: Th... the Ragna Blade... H... how did you get your hands on it?  
Darkon: Don't you even remember? You left it within my body... well, you know what would've happened had you tried to extract it...  
Janesil: Yeah, all too well... He pointed the sword at her.  
Darkon: Well now, shall we do this the easy way or the hard way?  
Janesil: The hard way of course! He just noticed the energy she'd been gathering.  
Janesil: Eternity Wind! Greenish-blue wind burst out of her palms, tearing the stairs to pieces on the way to it's target, but he just put his sword in front of him and the spell dissolved on contact.  
Janesil: No way! Lyliara and the men bust out of the keep behind her.  
Lyliara: DARKON?!?!?!?!?!?  
Alucard: You know this guy?  
Lyliara: Under what rock have you been living? He's one of the most reknown demons in existance!  
Alucart: Darkon... so that's him... But... Isn't he dead?  
Lyliara: Apparently not...  
Alucard: Um... I don't have a clue about who he is, so could you fill me in?  
Lyliara : Allright, but try to listen. When the world was created, there were three gods, Phoenix, god of rebirth, Dragos, the Dragon god and finally Chaos, god of the demons. Chaos' eldest son was Evaris Elfslayer, the greatest leader of the demons to have ever lived. Evaris had two sons, Galamoth whom we've seen twice in this castle and Findread whom died during the great clash against Dragos' sons Granis and Erandel. There's a strange rumor around the abyss talking about Galamoth havign a bastard daughter, but it's only a rumor... Then comes Chaos' younger son, Darkon. Although being the later of the two, he outranks his brother on every plan... except reknown. Evaris was born as a Hyper Demon, third best class of demons in existence, but his brother was a Plague of Existence, the highest class of demons in existence... but they're all extinct now... Darkon is also the cause as to why the Plagues no longer exist. He ratted on their actions to the Entities, the beings that created this universe. Needless to tell you that bing that can destroy the universe without breaking a sweat aren't too well seen by those who spent so much time creating it... For his "correct" actions, he was made the Elemental of Darkness, controlling all of the shadows in the universes. His power was the greatest of all the Elementals and became a Tyrant. Soon, what was bound to happen happened and war broke out between Darkon and the Elementals. One person, Magus, joined the conflict and created a weapon which was infused with the power of all the elementals and slayed Darkon with it. Since then, Darkon's regenerative cells have been destroyed and his body is reduced to Black goo of unimaginable power. Also, from his body was born the Shadow Elemental Shade, taking his elemental powers away.  
Alucard: ... I didn't quite follow all of that.  
Alucart: It means he's the most powerful being on the planet, you moron.  
Alucard: Oh, why didn't you just say so?  
Lyliara: That's what I said. :(  
Alucard: And does Janesil have any chance of beating him?  
Lyliara: Hopefully.  
Janesil: Killing your own nephew to get a body, how pathetic...  
Darkon: Oh his soul survived! Isn't that enough? Darkon's sword slashed forward, cutting the very air with ease, creating a blade out of nothignness, cutting the castle keep in half with ease. He kept swinging and forced Janesil to dodge and be unable to attack. Finally, after over 20 dodges, she managed to avoid his slash and have time to react. She leapt over the next slash and landed behind him, concentrating power for a second to create an energy bolt.  
Janesil : one fatal mistake in your plan, you used Galamoth's cell structure, so your body itself has the same potential as his... and the same defense... Nice seeing you again. The bolt was shot in the form of a spear, piercing the skull, makign eyeballs fly out, crashig on the walls in a wet splatter. The energy lance gone, his body fell down to the cortyard below. Along the way, a black portal opened itself, swallowing up the sword and a piece of his hand, leaving the rest to fall and splatter on the solid stone floor. Janesil's consciousness faltered, making her fall as well. Lyliara caught her and brought her back up, noticing she'd rebecome Magus.  
Alucart: Shall we return to buisness, dear twin brother?  
Alucard: Count on it! Twe two returned inside what was left of the castle keep and started to battle it out again until Alucard manaed to disarm Alucart, his sword flying out the wall, now reduced to their waist.  
Alucard: It seems I've won.  
Alucart: As if! Do you remem ber the stats my sword has? My strength lies in myself not in that pathetic piece of steel. He clenched his fist and got ready again. Alucard stabbed forward and Alucart dodged, sending his fist flying at Alucard's stomach, throwing him back oer the edge.  
Alucart: It seems I'VE won. He sees a small bat fly back up and turn into Alucard. Alucart looked pissed at him and attacked fast witha jump kick, but Alucard blocked with his sword. Alucard swung at his brother who parried and got ready to delived another hard punch, but instead bot the Omega Weapon in the guts.  
Alucart: Th... this isn't over... The sword grew another blade along it's length, tearing him apart Horizontally as well as Vertically.  
Alucart: Th... Th... This... Hurts... ... The sword flashed for a second and started to glow red, no more blood flowing out of the terrible wound. Alucart started to turn very, VERY pale as the sword ucked away all of his blood. When it's deed was done, it finally let Alucard tear it out. The man collapsed besdie the throne.  
Alucard: I'm sorry, my brother, but yo desired this so much...  
Lyliara: Um... he's not dead... They stared back at Alucart that had managed to crawl up to the chained Dracula.  
Alucart: T...h...i...s... is... far... from... o...v...e...r... He sunk his fangs in Dracula, sucking away his very power, endign the ceremony of binding, releasing Dracula from his curse and placing it in him... And then the castle shook violently, showing it's appearance on earth was over... and at the same time Magus awakened. 


	33. Chapter 32 Exit!

CHAPTER 32: EXIT  
  
Magus: Hullo. Where are we?  
Alucard: Less talk, start running! The entire castle keep broke off the stairs. Alucard double jumped up to it and Lyliara flew there.  
Lyliara: Well boys, this my stop, See ya! ^_^ She vanished into thin air. The two started to run down the Clock Tower, forced to fight off swarms of Mecha Zombies 5173 and lower that were there to delay their path. The 7174's havin been intelligent enough to flee. After a bit, they managed to reach the elevator of the outer wall. By accident, they pressed the button for the mid-Level, the prisons. They got out and realized they were at the wrong place. Turning around, they saw their elevator's cord snap, now happy they took a wrong floor... Cursing their luck, they ran across the prisons, leaving their half-zombified victims to their fate.  
Voice: Hey! Don't leave me here, Alucard! Alucard stopped dead in his tracks and ran back to see Richter. Not wasting time, he used the Omega Weapon to tear the control Mechanism into pieces, allowing Richter out and the new trio ran for their lives to the hole Alucard had done before, dropping them at the giant clock. They kept running, seeing the ceiling start to dislock itself. Soon enough, they met a dead end.  
Magus: Damn! We're stuck...  
Alucard: Was that the only way out?  
Magus: No, but it's the only one we can reach in our limited time.  
Richter: So... We're doomed?  
Magus: Afraids... Wait... We have one last hope. Follow me! Magus ran back to the giant clock and leapt down the hole in the floor to the hangar. He dashed in the Ragnarok with the other two in hot pursuit. He went up to the control chamber, closed the cargo bay door and activated the weapon charge system. He made it tilt so that he could fire diagonally And let his machine guns roar. They easily destroyed one ceiling to let them get back to the room of clocks and used his charged cannon situated under the ship to blast them a way out. As soon as they saw fresh air, the beam of holyness destroyed the castle hopefully once and for all. Magus landed at the base of the cursed forest. He went down tot eh cargo bay to find both his passengers quite bruised but otherwise alive. He opened it and stared at the remains of the castle with the other two.  
Magus: That was close. We almost didn't make it.  
Alucard: I cannot believe we actually were able to defeat technology from around 400 years in the future with just the three of us.  
Magus: Now how about we return to our time? Barely in notice, the Wolf lord stood ready to pounce and as soon as Magus moved, it lunged and bit it's teeth deeply in his arm. Magus swore and blasted it to bits with his other arm, contemplating his stump.  
Magus: Oops... guess I overdid it a bit... Richter and Alucard drip.  
Magus: Oh well, it should grow back overnight, which meand we have to camp here for the night.  
Richter: Grow back, like a lizard's tail? You're not human, are you?  
Magus: Sometimes I wonder about that myself, as for the growing back, I cast a regeneration spell. They set up a makeshift camp and quickly went to sleep... except Magus. He just stood back and watched the sky.  
Magus: So... crossing this castle was instructive, I've met new monsters, made new enemies and friends, but most important is that I feel closer to relief now... Rhys told me that the only way to be free from those other souls is to give them a new body... and somehow i wish to discover a way soon, because I've had more balckouts in that castle than I usually get in two or three years! And to think it's all related to that girl... Cilliana I think it was... all it takes to make me happy is life not some silly girl... why want more, the grass is soft the stars fill the sky, the moon glows in it's full splendor, the... FULL moon... C.R.A.P. He felt a surge cross his mind, deleting all conscious thought or hope of movement. A scream worthy of a man being torn to pieces aliver erupted from his mouth, awaikening the others in a startle, the scream slowly changed into a roar of immense power. He curled into a ball, flating in mid-air and grew a sphere of darkness raond him. The sphere soon shattered into shards on the floor, leaving nothing of Magus, but a dragon toi replace him. It's legs were roughly their size, quite heavily muscled, folding back on themselves and going back torwards the front from the middle. His arms were rather small, but still enormously powerful and only had three fingers each. It's tail was large, bulky, long and powerful. It'S wings were immense, longer than a man each. It's neck was long and supported it's vicious head and crown of spikes ebbed within it's skull. Crowning his neck, back and tail was a line of spikes that grew to large proportins. Overall, it was around three times their size.  
Alucard: Strange, this beast from the lesser plains... I think I've seen before...  
Dragon: I am Rudra, Demon dragon of destruction. I knew he'd slip eventually... quite impressive though to have avoided this since the war of the monster'S fall... and yet my time is quite limited, so I'll only level a kingdom or two it seems.  
Richter: We won't let you!  
Rudra: So be it. The Demon familiar, posessing the fastest reaction time attacked first with it's mighty Holy Light Spear and merely got blown away by it's sheer aura. The demon was blown away by the recoil. Richter took that opening to attack with it's whip, but ate a heavy tail hit.  
Richter: D...damn, I didn't even see him move it! Alucard also tried his luck and avoided the initial blow by the tail and got seized and thrown torwards the horizon. He was caught by something at the level of his leg.  
Xelloss: Well, it seems Rudra's out again, this is not good...  
Rudra: Xelloss...  
Xelloss: It seems you remember my name, But do you also remember the mission Magus gave me.  
Rudra: Oh, be sure of that. You Mazoku never liked us Demon dragons anyway, neither do dragons. Only demons can stand us because of Catoblepas's efforts.  
Xelloss: So then, let's get started. The Mazoku priest dissapeared as fast as he'd appeared and reappeared next to Rudra, slamming his staff down hard with Rudra's arm, then trying a vicious kick blocked by the other arm, then Rudra attacked with his tail, but Xelloss jumped above it. Both dissapeared, taking the battle to the level of the astral plane. Alucard got u and headed to help Richter up as well.  
Richter: My friend, where do you think they went?  
Alucard: I do not know, neither do I want to find out who wins.  
Richter: As do I. We'd better leave. As they spoke, both reappeared and Xelloss stumbled back, falling into them and making them fall. They noticed the fact that he was gravely wounded and had lost an arm and a bit of his body close by.  
Rudra: Xelloss, you were the closest thing to a worthy foe I'll meet in decades, unfortunately, you ended up in the loser pile with the weaklings.  
Vegeta: Humph! Finally someone agrees with me. The Saiyan landed beside the giant dragon and looked at the trio on the ground.  
Vegeta: Ha! Grounded by an overgrown lizard. If I were you, I'd crawl back under the rock you came out of and stay there. So he's a giant reptile, if he was hard for you to beat, he's got to be easy to defeat!  
Rudra: Enoying curr... can't even sense power levels...  
Vegeta: Oh, I sense yours allright and even my weak father could have beaten you with one hand beside his back.  
Rudra: *Sigh* Are you going to talk all night?  
Vegeta : Oh, I won't even need aminute to beat you, for you see, saiyans can transform if exposed to the rays of a full moon, increasing their power enormously, and now you'll face me at my best! Vegeta stared up and began to transform, is nose and mouth extending into one as his body became covered in furr, but his armor didn't break, but merely grow with his as he became a gorilla as big as King Kong but with more attitude.  
Vegeta: So what do you think now, dinosaur? Peeing in you pants yet... oh I forgot, you're too ugly to wear pants.  
Rudra: Saiyans sure are stupid. Forgetting that one's power largely shrinks while he'S resting and that one can also mask his power...  
Vegeta: Ha! Like a lizard can mask his power. Vegeta threw a rapid punch at the Demon Dragon, but he merely caught it with one hand, used it to lift the monkey in the air and bite off it's tail, the center of his transformation. Without it, he shrunk back to his normal self and got punched a few times before he was discarded in the pile.  
Rudra: As weak as the rest, how pathetic this night is becoming.  
Vegeta: Grrr......! You'll pay for that!! His entire energy gathered around him, making the Earth shake and distorting the winds to rotate around him.  
Vegeta: So, you're fast but can you sustain damage? Eat this! Final Flash! His entire power burst into an arrow of power aimed straight at Rudra. The Dragon's neck merely bent out of the beam's trajectory.  
Rudra: You dissapoint me, having such a bad aim for such a desperate move. Why, I've seen old ladies throw more precisely than that. Vegeta merely grinned and jumped. Right in front of Rudra was the beam Vegeta had thrown earlier, returning after crossing the world, hitting the dragon full frontal, leveling a large part of the area where the castle used to be, except for the cursed woods strangely...  
Vegeta: Told you he was beatable.  
Richter: Actually, you said he was easy to beat.  
Vegeta: Shut up!  
Rudra: My, that was some mighty dirt moving equipment, was it supposed to do more than tickle?  
Vegeta: Ah!... It can't be... what type of demon are you?  
Rudra: Actually, I'm a Demon Dragon, not a demon.  
Vegeta: We... 're going to die...  
Rudra: Enough! He beat his mighty tail to the ground, causing a devastating earthquake that fissured the ground.  
Rudra: I will hear no more petty whining from you! Just death awaits you. Before he could do a thing, he heard the hangar door for the Ragnarok open and saw the Hellchoc. The beast looked angry, Rudra looked puzzled. The beast became a blurr and blood suddenly flowed from a small gash on Rudra'S body, then came another, then another and so on. Rudra seemed mighty pissed. He let out a titanous scream to the heavens, and so began the rain of meteors. Each slammed their way deep into the bowels of the earth. The grounded group desperately tried to avoid the deadly attack and managed barely almost every time. The Hellchoc, on the other hand, unable to deal with the fractured terrain was repeatedly hit and rapidly grounded.  
Rudra: Oops, got overexcited there... My, I'm surprised the planet's still there... but now, I'll finally kill you all!  
Voice: OW! My head!! Once I find out who threw that, he's gonna pay!!  
  
Rudra: Not another one!! Ryu came out of the woods, a big bump on his head. He saw the dragon and froze.  
Ryu: A... a dragon! Oh YEAH!! I'll slay it and see if I can't get decent genes off it! Rudra grows a drip. Ryu rapidly morphs into a demon dragon identical to Rudra. He reels his head for a meteor breath, but Rudra had already caught him and snapped the dragon's spine just as fast, forcing Ryu to revert.  
Ryu: Grr! He's no normal Demon Dragon... ? ... ...! You! Weren't you with father? Where is he! Alucard points at Rudra and hears Ryu scream in disbelief.  
Ryu: He managed to get so strong this fast? And how the hell did he learn how to Ascession? No matter, let's see how he handles Pyre! Ryu was covered in a dome of pure darkness once again. Once it shattered, he was taller than Rudra and the color of the night sky had it not been lit by the moon's gentle glow. Unfortunately, he could barely control himself now. He threw a weak beam at Rudra, blowing off quite a few scales. Rudra was getting angry again. Ryu threw a powerful version of the last attack and strangely, the man they'd met at the church got in the way and took the hit full frontal. He staggered for a second and was back to normal.  
Rhys: I... Won't let you hurt him! With one slash, the gigantic Ryu reverted and collapsed unconscious. Rhys then turned to stare at the grounded group.  
Lyliara: Party pooper! :( Rhys and the group stare up and see the demon girl just floating there, staring down at them.  
Rhys: Demon...  
Lyliara: You broke my fun!! :(  
Rhys: What's fun about watching people get the smeg beaten out of them?  
Lyliara: The thrill of battle of course! :)  
Rhys: So you would have people suffer for your enjoyment? She floats beside Alucard and starts to cuddle him  
Lyliara: Except Aly-poo here :)  
Rudra: Um... I'm still here. Rhys: Technically, only for a minute since dawn is starting to rise...  
Rudra: D... damn! The beast called a meteor breath, but luckily, before he completed it, he screamed painfully and was envelopped in shadows that faded to leave Magus behind. Alucard and Richter sigh in relied and faint. Vegeta got up painfully and walked away, cursing. Rhys loaded everyone else in the Ragnarok.  
Rhys: Well, I guess it's goodbye... He closed the door and Took the Ragnarok Across the timestream back to Al;ucard and Richter's age to drop them off. He opened the cargo bay door and found Lyliara there.  
Lyliara: Gods that ship's slow...  
Rhys: ... ... He put the two emn down and took the Ragnarok to Magus' home, the Dragon's Haven. He got out there, leaving Magus, the Hellchoc and Ryu there. He reopened the hangar door and still found Lyliara there.  
Rhys: How did you get here?  
Lyliara: Followed you...  
Rhys: Well, leave now or I'll have to use force.  
Lyliara: No need to get angry :( I'm leaving! ... But so are you! :)  
Rhys: WHAT? A portal opened and swallowed them both, leaving Magus lying there unconscious... 


	34. Chapter 00 Epilogue

EPILOGUE  
  
Magus regained consciousness in the Ragnarok's pilot seat. Still dizzy, he stumbled to the automated platform. Once downstirs, he saw Ryu and the Hellchocobo lying on the floor unconscious.  
Magus: Ryu... He dropped off the Hellchoc and started the Ragnarok's engines, going back to the past, around 29 Ac and found 4 old towers near a small town. There he set in each one crystal of a different Element, One for Earth, one for Fire, one for Wind and one for Water. Picking the Water crystal as the main one, he prepared the ceremony to trap Ryu within them... that is until he noticed Ryu had awakened.  
Ryu: Sealing ceremony, boy you really hate me father...  
Magus: I'm just trying to keep you out of trouble.  
Ryu: By ruining my life, forget it.  
Magus: I am going to finish the ceremony even if I have to knock you uncnscious again!  
Ryu: Just try! Ryu was covered by a dark aura for a second before it expanded into the dark dome that covered him during his transformation. Seconds later, Pye emerged anew...  
Ryu: *laughs under his breath* This is going to be sweet... The dragon inhaled deeply and let out a titanous beam of energy, hitting Magus hard and sent him spiraling to the floor down under the window, in the delicate moonlight. Ryu prepared for the final blow as Magus opened his eyes. The moon appeared in the sky in it's full roundness, still that way for one more night. A titanic beam collided with him and levelled half the tower immediately...  
Ryu: Already over, so pitiful... I wanted more fun! ... !! With the smoke clearing, two crimson red eyes appeared in the mist of the smoke and they didn't look too friendly. The soke continued to clear revealing a human form with torn clothes. Magus' hair floated behind him, he'd grown fang and stood, legs pated, arms practically dangling.  
Ryu: Ah, finally. Loks like you won't disgrace the name of Leah after all... but without your swords, you're through! An eerie laugh filled the room as Magus' face lit itself with a wide smile. Before Ryu even had time to notice he' moved, he'd dashed across half the room and was standing in his face, his nails growing to unusual proportions and sharpness before plunging in Pyre's skull, tearing his skull to shreads. Ryu was forced to revert and fell on his ass. Magus landed again, almost tripping and started to walk torwards his prey. Ryu crawled back with every step his father took until he was cornered. Magus' other hand gor ready for the kill, it's nails extended to match the other hand's bloody digits. As Ryu sweat more than he'd ever doen in his life, he felt a tremendous force appear within him and within seconds the dark dome appeared, driving Magus back. He re-emerged as a newer dragon. Unlike Pyre's four stories, this one only was two stories high and unlike Pyre that was buil high and mighty, this one was human-like. It was green, scaly, stood on two mighty feets with sharp claws, used it's heavy tail that touched the ground to keep it'S body balanced while it's arms held the draconic scythe in it's hand. The sword on it's side wasn't too cheery either...  
Ryu: 2nd ultimate now... this is going to be interesting... He swung his large scythe with incredible speed compared to his size, but it merely collided with Magus' shield, sliding uselessly against it's surface.  
Magus: Pathetic as before it seems... ...  
Ryu: That voice... You're that dragon from earlier, aren't you?  
Magus: The name's Rudra. Since Magus' will was stronger than before, I wasn't able to fully transform this time... but i still hold much more power than you can hadle... Ryu panicked and swung again. Magus leapt on the blade, ran along it's surface to get in closer and Dug his nails fully in the dragon's brain, snapping them to leave them there. Ryu didn't revert and stayed dead.  
Rudra: Now that that's done, I've only got time to level one kingdom or two, but which ones? Decisions, decisions... I believe Evermeet sounds like a quiet place, so i'll start there I believe... A pair of leathery dragon wings burst out of Magus' back and lifted him off the ground. He swooped down to pick up the two swords and left for Evermeet... After his departure, the crystals shone and Ryu faded...  
  
***********************  
  
Magus awoke in an inn in the core of Leuthisspar on Evermeet. He forgot why he was there for a bit and semembered his sealing eremony for Ryu and how he needed a herb from the island to reinforce the seal... He went over to the royal palace and dound Evana there, acting as a guard. He immediately changed to Janus  
Evana: Magus!!  
Magus: Oh, Hi Evana!  
Evana: Please come in, I'll inform the queen of your arrival...  
Magus: No need, I don't expect to stay too long...  
Evana: Why did you come back all of a sudden?  
Magus: I need a bit of Farhlen.  
Evana: My shift ends in an hour, how about waiting for my shit to end and we'll go get it and visit the others?  
Magus: Sounds great. After an hour, Evana joined him. Their first stop was the herb shop to buy Magus' Farhlen and then they went to the knight's quarters to find Kathandryon.  
Knight: Kath? He's probably at the stables... They found him at the dragon stables, takign are of a beautiful silver dragon.  
Kathandryon: Here Dawnwing, eat up! The dragon chirped and ate the food he handed it. He turned aroudn and saw the two.  
Kathandryon: Hi Magus, haven't seen you in awhile...  
Magus: Well, I was out visiting the world... They spent a bit of time there talking and exchangign stories then it was off the Eliria's house where they stayed for supper. After that, Evana invited him to stay the night at the castle.  
Evana: Please? Just this once? PLEASE???????  
Magus: Allright... The girl grew red from head to toes.  
Evana: Thanks!! I'll got get ready!!! The girl ran off to her room.  
Magus: Well, I never knew she was in love with me... ... why did I just agree to sleep with her... Much, much later that night, after a passion filled evening came a bloody morning for the castle. Evana awoke alone in Magus' bed. She grabbed her discarded uniform and left the room, immediately stepping in a pile of blood. She recoiled in terror at the sight before her... The halls were red, blood everywhere... mutilated corpses filling the halls, She hurried over to the queen's chambers and found her sleeping.  
Evana: My queen! Somethign terribles... As she lifted the sheets, she found that where Amlaruil's chest had once been, there was now a large gaping hole.  
Evana: ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... KYAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
***********************  
  
Magus is next seen in the dragon's haven, trembling and babblign to himself, pressed against the Ragnarok.  
Magus : I... I... I... K...killed them all.................. He trembled more than before, obviously panicking... until a gentle soul who'se scent and touch calmed every one of of his muscles, wrapping him in a soothing calmness......... 


	35. Chapter 24 Magus' Past Original Version

CHAPTER 24: MAGUS' PAST  
Original version rated 18+ for sexual themes  
  
Amlaruil had learned from her dying son's last words that he had a son, her grandson. But what intrigued her the most was the name he'd pronounced before, the name of his lover she immediately recognized as the name of her rival: Wren Ellesedil of Kastro. The war between the two nations had begun less than a month after the fall of Myth Drannor in the year of the fall. The two nations both wanted to be the ruler of all elves and had declared war upon each other, but yet now a moonflower and an Ellesedil have had a child together, a child worthy of truly being king of all elves, and she was going to raise him. She released one of her slaves she'd captured that had come from there in exchange for having him deliver a message to Wren and would release the man's wife when he'd return with the answer. A month later, the man returned with an answer to her plea of having the child sent to Evermeet for top rank education worthy of the future king of all elves. As soon as she got the envelope, she kept her word and released the man's wife, both left back for home immediately. Unfortunately, the answer was not the one she'd hoped, but the one she expected. "There is no way that I'd hand my son to you, after all, isn't the best education the one his mother gives him? Anyway, by saying that, you implied that our nation is a bunch of idiots compared to Evermeet and there is no way my son is going to get any feeling of superiority through his education! We hopefully will never speak of the matter again.  
  
Queen Wren Ellesedil of Kastro." Having expected the first remark, it didn't annoy her too much, but the second part was too much to bear! Queen Amlaruil went down to her dungeons and Went to talk to an assassin she'd had imprisoned for murder. She released him and promised him a large reward if he'd assassinate the young queen that was her rival. The man promptly agreed and listened to the queen's plan. The next day, she released all of her prisoners from Kastro under the pretext that her first grandson was born. The freed prisoners swarmed back to Kastro in small groups, not knowing that an assassin was within their ranks, being lead to the place his client had requested he'd commit his next gruesome deed... A week later, he showed up at the castle, exactly a day after the queen got news of the girl's demise from one of her spies from within the royal castle. She paid him a handsome sum for his excellent work and dismissed him from the island. She received word that young Magus was now an orphan and being the closest family member still alive, was asked if she wanted to take him in. Barely three days after, Magus arrived in his new home. Amlaruil was surprised at how old he seemed. Physically, he was one year old, but had the body of at least 6 years. He remained at the castle for two years and was sent to a top grade Magic school to learn what he could of the mystic arts. He came back in a year.  
  
Amlaruil: So, already got kicked out, what as shame. Magus handed her a note written by the magic school's director. She read it kind of intrigued at why the fat pig would actually bother to write something since it took so much efforts to even lift the pen. "Your grandson is absolutely a phenomenon! He's cleared all of the disciplines and memorized every spell that lurked in our libraries already, even I couldn't manage to learn them all and I've been here for almost 750 years! Unfortunately, as it is a tradition, all students are to shoot a spell at the school when they depart. Young Magus used a spell never seen within the island before. Having seen it, we've transferred the knowledge to one of our human cooperators, hoping to receive an answer on what it was, until the building is rebuilt, class are dismissed for all students."  
  
Amlaruil: An unknown spell to this island, where did you learn it?  
  
Magus: An innate spell, quite weak if you ask me... He remained at the castle for a week and was then sent to try his luck in the school of steel, to learn the art of fighting. He returned a year later with a similar note, except for no levelling this time... but now Magus had reached the age where all members of the royal family received their very own guardian. Everyone of House Moonflower received a bodyguard when they reached age 5. These bodyguards came from house Silverwing, very close friends of the royal family since longer than anyone can remember. House Silverwing was renown because of it's capacity of giving birth to the best of the best. Usually, the members of house Moonflower had bodyguards already having reached adulthood, but the only one free was a youth of 16 years of age by the name of Rhys. He had yet to complete Mage-Knight school and would be done in a year and a month. Magus was also going to enter that academy, but managed to cross all 4 beginning years in the first month and began the final year in normal speed. During his progressing, he'd still been able to make a few friends... Rhys, A mage named Eliria Nightpath, a warrior named Kathandryon Starshine and another warrior by the name of Evana Daybreak. During the summer break, which only lasted a week there, his grandmother the queen requested proof of his talent to make sure that he didn't just use his name to receive grades. She had him battle a squad of her guards using weapons she asked him to go get at the armory. When came the time for broadswords, he noticed a row of elegant swords held by ancient armors, there were 8 in all. He reached for two of them and saw a blinding flash of blue erupt from them, lighting the entire castle.  
  
Amlaruil: NO! I forgot to warn him about the Moonblades!! She ran as fast as she could to the room and found him in a corner, still a bit dazed by the intense light that had been in his eyes a minute ago...  
  
Amlaruil: Good, he didn't try to remove them from their scabbards... One of the guards looked frightened and looked at the swords, the queen's gaze also shifting to them. Two swords lifted themselves from the armors and floated to the child with the body of 14 years. He took them and strapped them on his back. He withdrew them, rapidly noticing the incredible lightness of the two seemingly heavy swords.  
  
Amlaruil: Two Moonblades, He took out TWO Moonblades and still stands to tell about it.... I swear, that kid does miracles! A week later, upon the first day of school, Rhys marvelled at the sight of his master's twin Moonblades.  
  
Rhys: WOW!! I can't believe you managed to get two swords! One is rare enough! How did you do it?  
  
Magus: Well, I just touched the hilt and it started to emit a strange light and then they floated to me...?? Magus stopped Rhys' walk and stared at the sky. Rhys followed his gaze and noticed a small swirling circle of black. Out of it fell a beautiful young blonde girl. They went to check on her and found she was just unconscious. Rhys lifted her hair and gasped in shock.  
  
Rhys: S...She's a human!!  
  
Magus: So?  
  
Rhys: Humans are to be put to death on sight if found upon the island!  
  
Magus: No, she'll be fine. I'll take care of her.  
  
Rhys: B..but Magus!...  
  
Magus: No buts. I'll take care of her, if you feel like what I'm doing is wrong, go denouncer me. I'll see it as if you did something in order to save my life.  
  
Rhys: You do realize that usually you should just order me to remain silent about the matter.  
  
Magus: If I were to force you into silence, I'd be cutting your freedom and that's something I really do not want to do.  
  
Rhys: So what do we do about her.  
  
Magus: For now, just help me get her to my room and return to your normal activities. You'll see me again in two days like if nothing happened. Rhys, still suspicious of his master's plan left him to do as he saw fit. Now alone with the fascinatingly beautiful girl, he began to examine her more closely to notice what made her so different from elves... She was pretty tall, almost as tall as he was, but elves were usually tall so it was pretty much normal. After a close examination, he discovered that only the ears and the aura didn't match. He cast a simple illusion to have both seem elven. It was no easy task, since the maintenance of the illusion now reduced his potential to that of a normal student, rendering unable to glide across the session like he usually did. About an hour later, the girl woke up.  
  
Girl: W...Where am I? This isn't my room.  
  
Magus: I believe you guessed right.  
  
Girl: Who are you?  
  
Magus: I am known as Magus Moonflower, member of the royal family of this island of Evermeet.  
  
Girl: Wow! Am I really on Evermeet? ... I mean ... I'm sorry to trespass upon your kingdom, your highness... My name is Cilliana Windia from the island of Japan.  
  
Magus: Japan, the island once inhabited by the Windians until the week of the fall where all three cities fell... the week the elves were forever divided... Um... Sorry about that...  
  
Cilliana: No problem your highness.  
  
Magus: Stop calling me that! I hate titles, it just denounces the unevenness between people of equal value. Although a few ARE worth to be in the lower class...  
  
Cilliana: Well then Janus, why am I still alive? Aren't elves supposed to hate humans?  
  
Magus: That's a typical High elven prejudice, but I believe that until you've proven yourself to be evil, you shouldn't be judged and labelled so. Anyway, how did you get on the island?  
  
Cilliana: Well, some men were trying to kidnap me when my earrings shattered and I was sucked into a portal and I woke up in this room.  
  
Magus: Strange... By the clothes you're wearing, I'd say you were sucked back in the past...  
  
Cilliana: The past?!?! How am I going to get home now?  
  
Magus: Until we find a way to get you back there, you'll have to blend in if you don't want to be killed. What's your specialty? Swordfighting, Magic or both?  
  
Cilliana: Well, my mother told me I have great magical potential...  
  
Magus: Right! You're going to be inscribed in 5th level magic classes, you'll be starting in 2 days, but tomorrow, I'll have to teach you a thing or two about being an Elf... Two days later, Magus returned to class and found Rhys waiting anxiously to hear what he'd been doing.  
  
Magus: Didn't the teacher ask anything about my disappearance?  
  
Rhys: Not at all, we haven't even had class yet... The door opened and their new teacher came in. Everyone here came from a long line of Mage- Knights and were all surprised to see that their teacher wasn't Elmdor Razorleaf, the school's oldest and best teacher.  
  
Teacher: Welcome class, we excuse ourselves for starting so late, but we had some preparations to take care of...  
  
Student: Sir, you must have the wrong class, this one's taught by Elmdor...  
  
Teacher: Was supposed to be taught by Elmdor you mean. The school board found a more competent teacher than that rambling old fool. They left him to teach Mage-Knights of a lesser level.  
  
Student 2: Sir, my brother was taught by Emldor, so was my father, grandfather, great grandfather and greater grandfather, we're not about to change today for some lesser ranked teacher. We have ties with house Evermeet, we even have one of them here and we swear we'll get Elmdor back here by tomorrow!  
  
Teacher: Ah yes. That would be young Treewind talking. I thank him deeply for reminding me that I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Janus Ellesedil and I will be one of your two teachers for this semester.  
  
Rhys: An Ellesedil?  
  
Magus: Sir Janus, I beg your pardon, but the Ellesedil clan is extincted. I am the last member of the house and I bear the name Moonflower more proudly than I do Ellesedil. And also, excuse me, but in mage-knight academy, the students are taught everything by one teacher...  
  
Janus: Ah, just what I'd expect off you Magus. About the Ellesedil part, I'm afraid I cannot explain it, for my sake and as for the teacher part, there has been a new rule mentioning that some problems are created by being too isolated from the opposite sex and so all classes are going to be twinned together. And to make it fair, some classes are going to be mixed with other disciplines. Your paired class is waiting for you in the garden. You are all to report there and learn to communicate with them. The other teacher and I will be observing you all and matching you with a partner we feel you'll get along well with.  
  
Student: Tell us, is this just a plan from our parents to have us form couples?  
  
Janus: Absolutely not. You shall be joined with class... 5G of the magic department.  
  
Student: Magic 5G? But they're a bunch of commoners! Janus materialized behind the student having raised that comment.  
  
Janus: My good student, as you can see as clearly as day, I am not a High elf and will not tolerate any class prejudices in my local or I'll make sure you flunk this class as many times as they are houses you consider lesser than yours in all of Evermeet!  
  
Student: U...understood sir! The class headed down to the garden and found their paired class there. As soon as they arrived, Eliria intercepted them.  
  
Eliria: Hey! I didn't really expect us to be paired with your class! I don't think the other students took it too well.  
  
Rhys: Far from it, eh Magus? ...? Magus? He followed Magus' gaze and found what had captivated his attention. A girl identical to the one he'd helped Magus with two days ago was coming their way but her aura was now elven strangely...  
  
Cilliana: Hi Janus! Did you know they were going to pair us up?  
  
Magus: HUNH?!? What do you mean by that?  
  
Cilliana: Well since your class arrived, I've been eyed by nothing but admiration by your fellow classmen, half the class even rushed to your teacher to ask to be put with me in a team... the other half was after our teacher, miss Cilliana... Magus just noticed the other teacher, a radiantly beautiful version of Cilliana, still blossoming in her youth, but still gave out an aura of incredible age. She bent to her side to kiss Janus softly on his lips and giggle softly. Immediately, the mob around her dispatched.  
  
Magus: You still haven't explained what this pairing us up story is!  
  
Cilliana: Oh, I forgot. When the mob around your teacher asked him to be paired with me, he answered gently that some pairs had been decided since the beginning and gave a short list... We were the first on that list, Rhys and Eliria were the second.  
  
Rhys: We're paired up?  
  
Eliria: Oh great, now I'm stuck in the same team as you.  
  
Rhys: Hey don't sound disappointed, I'm the best in my class!  
  
Eliria: Correction. MAGUS is the best in your class.  
  
Cilliana: Yes, Janus is the best! ^_^  
  
Rhys: What's with this Janus thing?  
  
Magus: I'm not quite sure, but she mentioned something about it being my real name and sorts, I don't notice it anymore...  
  
Rhys: REALLY... looks like someone's putting a little too much interest in their protégé, aren't they?  
  
Magus: It's not that at all!!... ... It just sounds so right... Magus went over to see Janus after he'd finished announcing the pairs and dismissing class for the rest of the day.  
  
Magus: Sir, I've heard I've been paired with Cilliana, why is that?  
  
Cilliana: Simple, you two work so well together, it's fascinating.  
  
Janus: Also, don't you two share a little secret about something that happened two days ago?  
  
Magus: How do you...  
  
Cilliana: Listen to yourself a bit. Try to hear yourself and all will be explained quite faster than you can believe. That night, Cilliana returned to her room and found Magus waiting in it.  
  
Cilliana: J...Janus! This is a young girl's room, don't you know that you're not supposed to be in here? Magus showed her her file and then his. Both rooms were the same number.  
  
Magus: You see, getting you entry in the academy was a breeze, getting you a file was hard, but getting you a room was impossible! Anyway, I like to make sure you don't go sleep with someone and accidentally blow our entire scheme to keep you alive apart. The girl surveyed the room and began to turn red.  
  
Cilliana: There's only one bed...  
  
Magus: This may be a royal chamber, but it was designed for only one occupant at a time, although the bed is wide enough to easily hold two, maybe three. The girl turned redder, but is soon became a mere blush, lighting her face prettily.  
  
Cilliana: So... have you ever seen an elven girl without her clothes.  
  
Magus: N...NO! Of course not!... Wait... in fact there was that time when Evana went into my Hotspring by accident and took off her towel thinking she was alone... She noticed me a second later and put it back on immediately, her face red...  
  
Cilliana: D... do you think there is a sexual incapacity between humans and elves?  
  
Magus: I doubt it why? !!!!! ..... The girl walked to him and came to embrace him but noticed he started to hold his head in pain. His hair went down a few more tints to sea blue. His face became slimmer and much more beautiful. He also grew breasts. The girl layed unconscious on the bed. Cilliana stared at her in wonder... all of a sudden, a guy had just turned into a girl. Cilliana shook her to wake her up, but didn't manage, so she put her under the sheets and went under herself to sleep. In the morning she awoke and got dressed for school. She heard a loud yawn and turned back to the bed, looking at the girl there.  
  
Cilliana: Oh... it wasn't a dream after all... She put her bag down and went over to the bed.  
  
Cilliana: Um... who are you and where's Janus?  
  
Janesil: I'm Janesil... but I don't know any Janus...  
  
Cilliana: Great... where are you from?  
  
Janesil: I... don't know...  
  
Cilliana: Just swell, we're both not from around here...  
  
Janesil: Um... what am I doing in male clothes?  
  
Cilliana: Oh crap, I forgot that issue! Janus bought me clothes... but I don't have enough for the two of us... for now put this on... Cilliana lent her her spare school uniform and brought the girl to school to talk to Janus.  
  
Cilliana: ... So that's what happened...  
  
Janus: Yes, that's Janesil allright...  
  
Cilliana: You mean you know her?  
  
Janus: Of course! She's bloody inside me!  
  
Cilliana: WHAT?  
  
Janus: Let me explain this simply. There are three souls within me, one is from an ancient being named Magus, one is my own and the other is her, Janesil.  
  
Cilliana: But... if she's inside of you, how can she be here?  
  
Janus: Well, I'm actually the Janus you know but from the future... but for now, you'll have to take care of her. I'll give you the day off to get things clear and learn to know each other. Tomorrow, I'll introduce her as a new student.  
  
Cilliana: But I don't have any money...  
  
Janus: Oh yeah, well, what's that purse on her side then?  
  
Cilliana: But that's Janus' money!  
  
Janus: And since Janus and her are the same person, it's her money!  
  
Cilliana: Oh yeah...  
  
***********************  
  
Autumn ends and the first cold breeze of winter shows it's ugly mug. We find Cilliana and Janesil in their room at early morning, both in bed. Janesil gets up, yawning loudly, still half asleep. She walks up to the shower, her nightgown half off. She slips it off and takes a warm shower to wash herself before a long day of school. After about an hour, she leaves, clad in her towel and returns to the main room where Cilliana was still in bed.  
  
Janesil: Cilli, is something wrong?  
  
Cilliana: So... C... Cold!!!  
  
Janesil: It's not that cold...  
  
Cilliana: It is!!!!  
  
Janesil: But what about school?  
  
Cilliana: Forget it! It'll be colder than here!!  
  
Janesil: Cilli, you do realize we're only in the beginning of December, it's going to get much colder soon...  
  
Cilliana: Please kill me then... So much colder than home...  
  
Janesil: Allright, I'll see what I can do... Janesil got dressed, grabbed a bit to eat and got dressed for school. Once she was there, she went to Janus' office.  
  
Janesil: Um... Janus-san...  
  
Janus: Let me guess, Cilliana has cold related problems?  
  
Janesil: How did you...  
  
Janus: Do you see Cilliana dangling around my neck as usual?  
  
Janesil: Now that you mention it... she's got the same problem?  
  
Janus: Yeah. Cilliana can't stand cold for the life of her... I was actually trying to figure out an answer to that peculiar problem... I'd forgotten it gets this cold around Evermeet. So far the only answer to that problem is body heat... but... where's she gone? Janesil went back to their room and found Cilliana still in bed, trying to warm herself up.  
  
Janesil: Want a bit to eat?  
  
Cilliana: Janesil? Weren't you gone to school?  
  
Janesil: Just got back. So, do you want something?  
  
Cilliana: No... I'm not hungry... just cold... Janesil went over to the bed.  
  
Janesil: Cilli, could you pass me your nightgown, I need to wash it...  
  
Cilliana: But if I take it off, won't I be colder?  
  
Janesil: I'll hand you a new one.  
  
Cilliana: Well, here then... The bed wiggled as the girl took off her nightgown.  
  
Janesil: While we're at it, could you pass your bra and panties too?  
  
Cilliana: Allright... She wiggled a bit more, taking off the rest of her clothes and handed them to her roommate.  
  
Cilliana: Could you pass me the new ones please?  
  
Janesil: Could you turn around for a second? She did as she was asked, a bit curious... Janesil took off her school clothes and her underwear until she was naked as well and got in the sheets.  
  
Cilliana: C... cold!! Why are you lifting the sheets... ? ... Kyah!! S... something just rubbed itself on my back!!  
  
Janesil: Don't worry, it's just me...  
  
Cilliana(turning red): W... what are you doing?  
  
Janesil: I just talked to Janus and he mentioned that his Cilliana has the same problem.  
  
Cilliana: So?  
  
Janesil: He also mentioned that he usually solves that problem with body heat and that's just what I'm trying...  
  
Cilliana: Um... Janesil... the reason that works is because of their emotions for each other. Because Cilliana cares deeply for him, with his proximity, her body lets out a higher amount of heat than it usually does, so does his for the same reasons... That's why it works...  
  
Janesil: So... what's the problem?  
  
Cilliana: Since we don't feel anything profound for each other, that's useless!  
  
Janesil: That's not true, I love you... Eh... Ah... Cilliana turned red as t a tomato, unable to speak...  
  
Cilliana(mentally): L...l...l...l...love me???? B...but she's a girl!! ...This is the first time someone tells me that they love me but my mother... ... It's true that her body is unusually warm against my back... How should I react... HOW??? She hides her breasts with her hands.  
  
Cilliana(mentally): I... I'm not cold anymore... I feel... so warm and comfortable... Oh... she moved her hands around my waist... Somehow, I'd have expected the news of hearing that a girl whom I sleep with every night loves me... now that I think about it... why am I sleeping in the same bed as another girl? I could just ask Janus for an extra bed, being a teacher, he could easily find one... My heart pounds... could it be that I like things the way they are... that I like having her so near me... especially now, being removed from every physical protection, completely at her mercy, open for any sort of attack upon my physique... my god, I sound like a slut. She turned to stare straight in Janesil's eyes.  
  
Cilliana: Y... you love me? Janesil stared away.  
  
Janesil: Y... yes... I planned on telling you later.. but it just came out when you said we felt nothing for one another, I just couldn't keep it in anymore, I just had to prove you wrong...  
  
Cilliana: Jan...  
  
Janesil: I'm sorry to have bothered you... I forgot you loved Janus and that I just interrupted your relation together. Janesil turned completely, facing the other wall. She rapidly felt Cilliana's hand playing in her hair.  
  
Cilliana: You know... I've never been able to take care of my hair the way you take care of yours... Still keeping a hold of the strand of hair, her hand started to slide down it's length until it's end that left her hand straight on Janesil's leftern breast...  
  
Cilliana: Your heart beats so fast... is it because I'm near? She felt Janesil nod.  
  
Cilliana: Could I help slow it's pace somehow? ... Wait, I heard that if rubbed just right, it should slow down... Cilliana's slender fingers gently applied a delicate pressure on the surface of the girl's soft breast, quickening it's beat to about twice it's old speed  
  
Cilliana: Oh, that doesn't seem to work right... maybe I did it wrong...  
  
Janesil: Cilli, just what are you doing?  
  
Cilliana: Silly girl, don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet... I love you too...  
  
Janesil: Y... ...y... ...y...you do?  
  
Cilliana: Yes I do...  
  
Janesil: B... but I thought you loved Ja... Cilliana put a finger to her lips.  
  
Cilliana: Unless that name was Janesil, I don't want to hear it. I've decided to devote myself to you... to put away all my emotions for men and only look at you...  
  
Janesil: Cilli... She turned and stared at the girl straight in the eyes.  
  
Cilliana: Jan... The two girl's lips got close to one another's but before they met, they heard knocking on the door. Janesil Got up, putting on the nearest night gown who happened to be her half-transparent one and went to open the door. On the other side was Cilliana.  
  
Janesil: Ci-San?  
  
Cilliana: I hope you girl are ready because we're leaving!  
  
Cilliana and Janesil: Nani???  
  
***********************  
  
We rejoin them on the 23 of December, both in a hotspring with their teacher Cilliana.  
  
Cilliana: Well, I guess our lesson's over for today... Oh... I forgot to warn you. Tonight, I'm going back to the academy for a few days... to go celebrate Christmas with Janus, so you two will be alone for a bit... Oh and I won't forget to bring your presents for your friends. Well, have fun now ^_^ Both girls blushed as Cilliana left the hotspring to prepare.  
  
Cilliana: Well, it was a great idea of Janus' to send us all here...  
  
Janesil: Yeah. I haven't heard you complain once about the cold. The pair were in a hotspring resort within a mountain range north of the city. The inn was rather expensive, but the fact that it was surrounded by mountains on every side kept the cold air out and the hotspring's warmth inside, so even if there was snow outside, here it was still around 30 degrees everyday. Cilliana had accompanied them as a private teacher and to stay warm as well. As for Christmas, the holiday had been introduced that year by Janus to the elven comitee as a new holiday. Of course the entire birth of Jesus part was totally forgotten and replaced by prayers to the elven gods to thank them for a wonderful year. Also, at that time, it was customary to give gifts to people we're close to... Our friends, our family, our beloved... Both girls had already found something for the other.  
  
Janesil: You know, we've come a long way since we first met... At first we could barely get along together, mostly because you hated me for breaking you up with Janus, but overtime, you got used to it, it seems...  
  
Cilliana: My feelings for Janus faded and without me even noticing, my feelings for you grew...  
  
Janesil: Well, how about a ping-pong game before going to bed?  
  
Cilliana: Yay! The next day was pretty long, mostly because they didn't have class which usually took up their whole day, but they had classes which weren't on the normal program pretty often... but upon the 12th hit of midnight, Christmas began and they headed for the pile of presents in the corner. In all, there were 7... First they started with the presents from Janus. Cilliana got a page on which was written a spell and an note "If ever you feel the need to return home..." and Janesil got a heavy leatherbound book.  
  
Cilliana: what is it about?  
  
Janesil: I have no idea, it has not title... She opened it and read the first page "Janesil, knowing of your current condition, I've compiled here all of the information I've been able to gather about your past and even managed to get a bit straight out of your future self, enjoy :)"  
  
Cilliana: How sweet. Next were the presents from Cilliana. Both got clothes, splendid nightgowns, richly embroided and extremely comfortable underwear, breathtaking gowns and casual clothes... after that came their own gifts, leaving the one from Janus and Cilliana for last. From Cilliana came a delicate and beautiful pair of panties.  
  
Cilliana: I made them myself, I've managed to make then small and comfortable, not to mention that there are quite a few spells in it... :) I would've given you a bra too, but I know that you don't wear those too often...  
  
Janesil: Thanks Cilli... Cilliana picked up her present and opened it. Inside the large box was a much smaller one... and on it was a small note. Cilliana read it and tore it off, opened the box and threw herself in Janesil's arms, crying.  
  
Cilliana: I... I can't believe this... Really?  
  
Janesil: Yes, my dear. The girl kept crying for a minute then wiped off her tears and kissed the girl. Janesil was startled for a second, but rapidly joined in, returning her kiss with a similar passion and delicacy. Their first kiss was one they'd never forget... after a minute, they broke it and Cilliana giggled and went back to their room with the package. She sat on the bed, naked and soaked, staring at it's content, Janesil's engagement ring. It was golden with a beautiful heart made of ruby held by an angel that was hugging it... She tried it on and felt it adapt to the size of her finger until it fit her perfectly. Janesil came in and found her there, waiting, staring at her gift and then at her. Cilliana invited her to sit beside her and the girl complied. As soon as she was sitting, Cilliana threw herself against her, kissing her deeply and letting her passion free. One of Cilliana's hands kept a hold of the girl's head while the other started to wander the girl. Slender fingers wrapped themselves around Janesil's breast, delicately rubbing the surface, arousing the girl a bit. After a few minutes, the fingers changed their way a bit, starting to sink within the soft mound instead. Jan was greatly aroused now, hugging the girl strongly, pressing her against her and didn't intend to let go fast. Cilli's fingers started to bring their attention torawrds the girl's erect nipple, pinching it, rubbing it... meanwhile her other arm let go of the girl's head, letting the bed take care of that and sank between the two bodies, going down to the girl's privates. She started by using her fingers to rub and part the girl's sexlips and then let a few fingers enter the drenched area, sliding down the cummy path, rubbing the interior walls softly until she came across to the girl's sensitive spot. Concentrating her finger's attention on the exposed clit, Janesil reacted instantly, by breaking the kiss and her grip on Cilli and moaning very loudly, clenching the sheets vigorously. Now free from hold, Cilliana's lips went down to the girl's nipple, she thought it was just begging to be taken in... Her lips delicately rested themselves around it, her tongue playing with it, making the girl clench the sheets harder. Her hand, now wrapped around the breast kept it's attention up as Cilli started to suck on the delicate piece of flesh until she felt a liquid jet burst in her throat. Surprised, she withdrew her mouth from it and looked. She had no idea where it had come from... she swallowed it and found the taste exhilarating ^_^ Still experimenting, she withdrew her cummy fingers from Janesil's privates and used her new fingers to pinch the nipple. She applied pressure on the breast and watched as a stream of white liquid came out and splattered itself all over her face. She licked her face, finding it to be the same as before. It seemed Janesil, much like herself innately produced milk, even when out of pregnancy. The girl's lips wrapped themselves around the nipple once again and placed her body atop Janesil's, letting both cunts enter contact with each other... both slid wetly against one another, producing very pleasureful waves of delight in both girls. Janesil's arousal was extremely high, but Cilliana was gaining high, having less defense in that plan... after a bit of time, Janesil fainted in delight, but Cilliana didn't notice and kept going for a minute until she also succumbed... The next morning, both girl woke up at the same time, stared at each other and giggled. They went back to the hotspring to wash themselves from their action earlier on in the day and noticed the last gift. In it was a small piece of paper on which it was written "Don't worry, marriage between lesbians is allowed in elven communities... not necessarily well seen, but allowed." The two stared at each other and kissed...  
  
***********************  
  
At the end of Aril, the three girls left back for the academy. There, their relationship continued to flourish and a date was set for the wedding... the day after they'd obtain their diploma... once again, they melted in with Janus' friends. Cilliana got along very well with Eliria, Rhys and Evana and Janesil had managed to catch Kathandryon's eye and got along swell with the other girls. It currently is the eve of the diploma ceremony.  
  
Rhys: Well, those two seem to be getting cheerier by the day...  
  
Eliria: Of course, why wouldn't they?  
  
Rhys: Should they?  
  
Evana: Have you been reading your mail for the past month?  
  
Rhys: We have mail?  
  
Eliria: Local 273.  
  
Rhys: I'm on my way! He ran off torwards the school building.  
  
Eliria: He's got a lot of catching up to do... I think he might also have a Christmas present or two over there...  
  
Kathandryon: So, are you two still sure, I mean, what would your parents think?  
  
Janesil: Well, according to the book Janus gave me, no one knows where I come from...  
  
Cilliana: And I don't intend to go back home ever.  
  
Rhys: Are you sure? Can you keep this up forever?  
  
Kathandyon: Keep what up?  
  
Rhys: Ah...  
  
Eliria: BAKA!  
  
Kathandryon: Well?  
  
Cilliana: That I was once human... Janus found me unconscious here one day and camouflaged me here as an elf...  
  
Kathandryon: That's preposterous! Janus would never do that!  
  
Rhys: He did.  
  
Kathandryon: I... I... He ran off as well.  
  
Evana: It'll take him some time to get used to the matter though...  
  
Girl: Hello! They turned to a smaller version of Cilliana  
  
Girl: Hi! I'm Ci Moonflower. I'm joining the academy next year and I'd like to know if you've seen my Nii-san here recently?  
  
Rhys: Sorry, but we haven't.  
  
Ci: Okay, Bye! Ci, AKA Cilliana was Janus' cousin, the child of one of his aunts that had unfortunately died, leaving the child orphaned. The difference between them was that her mother had died fighting invaders at the same time as Eliria's parents when 5 humans managed to get to the island and murdered a dozen people. She was older than him, but his body seemed older, so the girl always treated him as her older brother. She'd been admitted early to let her study magic more profoundly than most other girls. It's true her parents were great magicians, but the girl had an innate talent that allowed her to surpass her teachers with ease. The next day was the graduation, where students that passed their 5th year of a said discipline received a diploma mentioning they'd mastered their discipline and were eligible to work with jobs that required it. Each student was called out and was given a diploma. Janesil got hers, but when it came down to Cilliana, everything changed.  
  
Director: Bravo for your achievement, now I present you with ...  
  
Kathandron: Stop!!  
  
Director: Yes, Kathandryon Starshine, what's the problem?  
  
Kathandryon: That girl to whom you wish to give an object of elven prestige is a human! An outbreak of disbelief and anger rose in the crown, after all, almost every man in that crown was in love with the girl... the director nodded to one of the two persons beside him and the man stepped forward, casting a scan spell.  
  
Man: This girl has a great amount of elven blood in her, but I detect a weak amount of human blood, making her a half-elf! The crown exploded in disbelief at the statement. The director nodded to the second man behind him and he withdrew a sword and came to strike down the girl, but a beam of energy burst out the audience and hit the man in the chest, making him fly a few meters away, unconscious. Janesil leapt on the stage and grabbed Cilliana by the hand, intending to flee, but before she could get off the stage, she was seized and pinned to the ground.  
  
Janesil: Cilliana, run!  
  
Janus: I'm profoundly sorry, but there is no other way... Janus cast the spell to send Cilliana back to her age and watched her sink into the timestream.  
  
Janesil: Ci... Cilliana... CILLIANA!!!!!!! ... ...No... Tears ran down her cheek for a second and then a flash of light occurred.  
  
Janus: Get off of me now!! The men heard the deep voice and immediately got off.  
  
Magus: What were you morons thinking, pinning down a member of house Moonflower! I should have you all fired for that!  
  
Men: S...sorry sir Magus! After that, the image in the screen faded to darkness and Magus' own memories appeared. He was leaving Evermeet, having somehow gained control... He wandered the world for no reason... maybe somehow Janesil had implanted in him the mission to find her lover again? 


End file.
